The Game
by JamieParker
Summary: 6 years since he's been separated from his sisters at sea, Klaus Baudelaire takes part in a game show in the hopes of reuniting with Violet and Sunny. Uses the TV series more than the books as I no longer have much of the latter. Storyline adapted from the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'. A Klaus and Violet sibling fic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had just finished watching the third season of ASOUE the other day and I was really impressed by the sibling relationship of Violet and Klaus, particularly of how well they were played by Malina and Louis. Then, the other day, I was rewatching one of my fav movies, Slumdog Millionaire when a thought occurred to me about how fantastic Klaus Baudelaire would be if he took part.**

 **For those of you who haven't seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire, it's an incredible movie directed by Danny Boyle which features two brothers and a girl orphan on the run. One of the brothers falls in love with the girl and although he was separated from her, he goes on the popular gameshow Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the hope that she would be watching.**

 **Thus, I've adapted a sort of similar premise to my story where Klaus gets separated from his sisters and has to find a way to reunite with them. Like in the TV series, the story will focus particularly on Klaus and his relationship with Violet. I've always loved good sibling fics and this would be my attempt at it. Please review if you can. I've posted the first three chapters**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own anything in ASOUE or anything else other than the story itself.**

Chapter 1

Despite many unfortunate days in Klaus's life, none was worse than the day after they set from the island.

Like most days, the blue skies were clear with only a few clouds drifting high above them as Klaus steered the _Beatrice_ through the pristine, blue waters of the sea.

For the first time in a very long time, Klaus felt a sense of peace and purpose as he, Violet, Sunny and Beatrice set sail on the boat from the island they had called home for a year. He pushed hard against thoughts of V.F.D as well as others that had impacted his and his sisters' lives one way or the other. Ever since the night before, Klaus had allowed his mind to wander back to Mr Poe, Justice Strauss, Jerome Squalor, the Quagmires, Fiona and countless others whose status were currently unknown to any of them. He had placed a flower on Kit Snicket's grave while merely giving Olaf's a mere glance. The dead had haunted him for many nights and Klaus was certain they would continue to do so for the rest of his life. Nevertheless, for the first time, Klaus was optimistic as the thought brought a light chuckle to his lips as he pictured Phil giving him a cheery smile and two thumbs up.

"What's so funny?" Violet asked, breaking Klaus away from his thoughts.

"Nothing," Klaus replied as he adjusted his glasses. "Just feeling positive about where we headed off to."

"With you guiding us, I have no doubt," Violet replied as she beamed at him while Sunny continued to play with Beatrice. Watching Beatrice laugh wildly at Sunny trying to imitate the Incredibly Deadly Viper, Klaus couldn't help but smile proudly at the pair. Although Sunny did help to raise Beatrice and her contributions could never be counted out, it was clear to Klaus that both he and Violet were the ones responsible for taking care of them. He felt a slight nudge on his ribs as Violet, who had been about a seat apart was now inches away from his face.

"Okay, enough with that. Tell me what you're thinking." Violet said as she gave him that determined look he had seen so many times in the past.

"I'm just thinking about the amazing job we did raising them both," Klaus replied as he motioned towards the pair.

"Well, Sunny did raise herself quite a bit. Even took care of us a few times."

"I don't deny that," Klaus replied. "But you have to admit that most of it was down to the pair of us."

"True, although imagine if Sunny was our age. We would be unstoppable." Violet cried as Klaus gave a laugh.

"I don't doubt that. She's super strong. So too is Beatrice." Klaus said before sighing. "Which makes me think about what we're going to do once we get back?"

"What do you mean?" Violet asked, looking puzzled.

"I mean, are we going to go back to find a way to start a new life or open up an old one?" Klaus sighed. "I mean, I'm all for going back to Briny Beach, finding Justice Strauss, trying to clear our names and finding a place to lay low until you turn eighteen. But anything to do with V.F.D, I want no part of it."

"Klaus, our parents were from V.F.D. Don't you want to know more?" Violet whispered loudly, wanting neither Sunny nor Beatrice to hear their conversation. "What about Duncan, Isadora, Quigley and Fiona? Don't you want to find them?"

"Of course, I do," Klaus replied hastily. "I just don't see how us going through V.F.D is going to help? And what about Beatrice? She needs a home to live in and grow, not just follow us as we try to hunt down the ghosts of our past. "

"A lot of people might still need our help, Klaus. We just can't abandon them!" Violet replied, her tone rising slightly louder. "We will find a good home for Beatrice, that's our priority. But we will also try to find out what happened to our parents, where our friends are and if there are people in need for us. We were trained to be part of V.F.D, Klaus."

"No, we weren't!" Klaus replied in a tone similar to his sister. "Look, all this. The sugar bowl. The schism. Everything ended at Hotel Denouement. The Man with a beard but no hair and the Woman with hair but no beard, they might be gone as well. So too are countless others! I agree we should at the very least, find our friends but once we have them, that's it. No more looking into V.F.D, no more looking into our or our parents' pasts. It's over, Violet."

"There might still be fires needed to be put out, Klaus." Violet sighed.

"All fires eventually die out, Violet," Klaus replied firmly. "That's the thing. You can kill a fire by depriving it of heat or oxygen but a fire will die out once it runs out of fuel. Us going back into V.F.D, that's just giving it more fuel to burn. We should let this go, Violet."

"How about we talk about it once we get back to the coast?" Violet suggested as she pulled away. Klaus could feel his heart breaking as his eyes rested on her expression, one he had never hoped to see. Violet's face was one of disappointment. Yet before he could utter a single word, Sunny called out his name.

"What's that?" Sunny said as she pointed ahead. Klaus and Violet stood up to stare as Violet gasped in horror. Something was happening to the surface of the water as the four of them felt the boat rocking slightly harder than it used to.

"Sunny, get Beatrice in a life vest," Violet said as she handed her sister the only two life vests on board. She exchanged a look with Klaus who looked just as concerned as she was. Violet pulled out a ribbon to tie around her hair as Klaus sat back on his seat, ready to steer the _Beatrice_ through the terror that waited for them. The waves were getting stronger as the boat started to rock from side to side as Klaus tasted the salty seawater that splashed against his face.

…

 _KLAUS!_

He could hear Violet screaming his name as he watched what remained of the _Beatrice_ float away in the distant. Each time, Klaus felt himself being dragged underneath the surface of the water before being pushed towards the surface. He felt himself gasping from breath as the water soon enveloped him as it poured mercilessly down his throat as his vision soon became blurry before darkness swept from all around him.

"ENOUGH!"

A loud sound pierced through his watery hell as Klaus felt a towel being yanked off from his face as his throat welcomed the sharp bits of air entering into his system. Klaus felt himself spitting and vomiting out bits of water as his lungs burned while he gasped continuously. He felt a strange sensation of having something cold and metallic being removed from his wrists as Klaus felt himself being dragged onto an upright position before being flung to the floor. Despite the abrasions and bruises that formed upon contact with the hard, cement floor, Klaus welcomed his new position as his body continued to expunge the water that had been stuck up his throat. Wheezing and gasping for air, Klaus felt his vision beginning to adjust inside the poorly-lit room.

"Pick yourself up, Scab!" came a loud and growling voice. Klaus hoisted himself up to his feet as he rubbed the water from his red eyes. As he squinted through his eyelashes, Klaus saw that he was face to face with Arthur Barker, the Head Inspector of the police force in Viceroy City. Arthur was a large and broad man, six feet two in height as he sported a large gruffly beard. The bald inspector motioned for Klaus to take a seat as he placed a chair across from him. Darting his eyes around the room, Klaus could see that Arthur's colleagues had left the room and removed the wooden board, leaving nothing in the grey, derelict room other than a table, two chairs and a mirror which Klaus guessed went two ways as they always did in police interrogation rooms. There was a swinging light bulb above their heads as Klaus took to his seat while still spitting our water from his lungs.

"Now, listen here, Scab." Arthur snarled as he glared at Klaus through his rough, hazel eyes. "The treatment that you have received is only the least of what I can do to you. Give me any of the cheeky wit one more time or try to tell me that you know what this word means or that word means and I promise you that the next time, I'll keep pouring the water much longer. So for the sake of your health, I suggest that you answer my questions honestly and without any of that sarcastic tone and we won't have any problems, do you understand?"

Klaus nodded his head, his body feeling weak from the water torture. He felt a pair of hands grabbed his collar as Arthur pulled Klaus towards his face.

"I said, do you understand?" Arthur whispered dangerously as Klaus glared at the man.

"I understand," Klaus replied grimly as he felt himself being shoved back into his seat.

"Excellent," Arthur said as he sat back in his seat. "Now, apparently it says here on your papers that officially your name is Herman Melville but I guess everyone already knows that's not true. Apparently, your name is…"

"Klaus Baudelaire." Klaus coughed as he wiped his face. Arthur gave him a smirk.

"Such a nice name. Shame you didn't want to use it before. Why didn't you just use your real name?"

"Because," Klaus said as he turned to face the mirror before staring back at Arthur. "Because of my past."

"Ahh, yes. Typical of a Scab. Did something bad in the past and so you think you can just waltz into our city and start a new life." Arthur said while smiling wickedly at Klaus. "Klaus Baudelaire, a wanted fugitive for a string of murders, breaking and entering, arson…the list goes on."

"I didn't do that any of that," Klaus replied. "It was all Count Olaf."

"Count who?" Arthur asked as Klaus shook his head.

"Never mind," Klaus replied as he glared back at Arthur. "Doesn't matter now, does it?"

"And why is that?" Arthur asked. As he managed to compose himself, Klaus regained some of the confidence and strength he had gathered days prior to the event at hand. He glared at Arthur as a smile came on his face.

"Because either way, I will be out of this place in another eight hours. The game show is too important to this city for the first ever contestant to reach the Billion dollar question not to show up. The entire public eye is on me and you would have no choice but to release me anyways."

"All I have to do is announce that you're a wanted fugitive," Arthur replied calmly. "The gameshow will disqualify you and that would be the end of it."

Klaus continued to smirk at Arthur as he continued to wipe the water on his face.

"You won't do that," Klaus answered as Arthur glared at him. "There's too much at stake now and even if you wanted to convict me of my crimes, you'll need to gather proof and that would be a long and complex process. Everyone in Viceroy City wants to see me take on the Billion Dollar Question. You wouldn't be able to stop me even if you wanted to."

"I won't?" Arthur snapped.

"Now you won't!" Klaus snapped back. He was tired and frustrated. Klaus recalled the day he had signed on for the game show, able to get himself as a contestant. All those years, working his way around Viceroy City, doing odd jobs and garnering favours had led him to this opportunity. One that was too precious to throw away. "My apologies. It's just that I've come so close, I can't just quit now."

Arthur, who looked ready to torture Klaus a moment ago, softened his expression as he stared curiously at Klaus. "You really need the money, huh?"

"No. If I win, I don't want the billion dollars."

"Everyone wants the billion dollars, Scab."

"Not me."

"What do you want then?" Arthur asked as Klaus averted his gaze.

"I want to ask the Mayor for the favour?"

"The favour?" Arthur cried incredulously. "Please, everyone goes for the money. If it was me, I would take the money. Why would anyone pick the favour?"

"Because there are some things more important than money." Klaus sighed as he stared at the mirror. He suspected that the mayor was watching, along with Quentin. Klaus had suspected that this entire interrogation was nothing but a façade, a way for the Mayor to gauge the kind of person Klaus was.

"You do know why you're here, don't you?" Arthur said as he crossed his arms. "There have been suspicions that you've been cheating."

"You know that it's impossible to cheat in this game," Klaus replied.

"Maybe you had an accomplice tell you the questions, prep you up." Arthur mused.

"I don't have anyone," Klaus replied though his voice sounded rather quiet. "And I did not cheat. Listen, I'll prove it to you."

"How?" Arthur asked

"I'll tell you everything," Klaus said as he turned his attention back to Arthur. "How I know the answers to each of the questions. What I learned on the way. But I need to play this game."

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"There's something I need from the mayor. Something only he can give me. He can keep the money for all I care, I don't want it. But you need to let me play the game."

….

Behind the mirror of the interrogation room stood two men who were as different as apples and oranges. The first was an elderly man with a white beard with no hair who wore a suit that was also white. He stood there glaring at Klaus as he tipped his hat while the other man beside him, a ginger-haired man who stood at five feet nine inches tall watched Klaus with fascination.

"Do you really think he's going to take the favour?" the ginger asked as the other man shook his head.

"He's a Scab, Quentin." the man replied as he stroked his white beard. "Have you ever known a Scab to turn down money?"

"Have you ever known a Scab to reach our final question, Mayor?" Quentin replied as he shook his head. "I don't know, Sir. There's just something about this Klaus that fascinates me. Doctors, lawyers, professors, scientists. None of them ever gets past our first six questions and here he is, the Scab of Viceroy City, reaching further than any Upper or Norm ever could."

"What could a Scab possibly know?!" the Mayor cried out as he threw his hat onto the ground. "There's nothing fascinating about a Scab, Quentin. They're nothing more than leeches. I want him under arrest after we find out exactly how he's been cheating."

"How has he been cheating?" Quentin remarked. "The game is played inside a controlled environment where the audience members are separated by a two-way glass. We removed his spectacles and the way he's been picking the answers suggest that there's no time for him to communicate with anyone. I would suggest letting him play, Sir. Our audience numbers are through the roof ever since Klaus entered the game. People are getting excited to see the Final Question, myself included." Quentin exclaimed as he turned to the Mayor who had a smirk on his face.

"He won't get past it. Not even the smartest men and women in the world have been able to solve the Final Question." The Mayor laughed as he placed his hand on Quentin's shoulder. "Let's just see what he knows first."

….

As Klaus watched Arthur try to size him up, Klaus couldn't help but let his mind drift back to the past six years. It had been hell for him, out there being alone and having to fend for himself. Each night, Klaus thought of three individuals as they swirled around in his thoughts, haunting his dreams. Beatrice would be about seven years old now, capable of speaking proper English. Sunny would be about ten and highly likely to have accomplished herself well as a chef as he imagined her cooking various cuisines and dining with the rich and famous. The thought that both Sunny and Beatrice were no longer babies or toddlers but old enough to attend school and learn about the world brought a slight moment of joy in his heart. Klaus took comfort in knowing that both the girls were safe. He had found Beatrice years ago and left her in the care of her caretakers who were more than happy to care for her while he looked for his sisters. Sunny, on the other hand, was still missing but Klaus knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was safe so long as she was with Violet.

 _Violet_

While Klaus loved all the women in his life dearly, his mother, Sunny, Beatrice, there was something special about his older sister Violet. For as long as he could remember, he and Violet had the best relationship anyone could ever expect. They were as thick as thieves, his mother would say and even that sounded like an understatement. If Violet ever needed to invent something, she would always consult him first using his knowledge to help her and if Klaus wanted to test a theory or something from his research, Violet would help him in any way she could. There wasn't a thing they couldn't accomplish together with proof being those horrid months when they were left in the hands of Count Olaf till their time on the island. In his mind, Violet was as perfect as a person could be.

"If you were alone in this world, son, and you could choose just one person to spend the rest of your life on Earth with, who would you choose?" his father had once asked him. Klaus didn't answer the question as his father would soon be interrupted by Sunny trying to bite his favourite chair once more but perhaps, his father didn't need to know the answer because he already did. Though Klaus cringed at the guilt of having to pick a favourite amongst the people he loved, there really was only one honest answer.

 _She would be twenty-two years old_ Klaus sighed as he thought of how his sister must look. He wondered if Violet even suspected he was alive ever since that horrid day after they left the island. Klaus recalled how he made his way back to the mainland and started retracing his steps, hoping to hear news of his family's status. Fortunately, he had found Beatrice and with the news that his sisters had survived, Klaus forged ahead, hoping to reunite with them once more. Yet there were no signs of Sunny or Violet as Klaus wandered from town to town, village to village, city to city until finally, he had reached Viceroy City, a place of technological wonder and considered by many to be the birthplace of a new Renaissance where information and knowledge was shared on a daily basis. It was here that Klaus chose to stay, knowing that if ever there was a chance that he would find Violet and Sunny, it was here in Viceroy City where the odds laid in his favour.

However despite its reputation, Viceroy City was far from a utopia as the city had a terrible social class system. People were divided into three classes; the rich and famous were known as the Uppers while the average working citizens were known as the Norms. Then came the Scabs, the lowest class in the system which consisted of the poor, the homeless or those shunned by society. Though the Scabs made up most of the city, they were seen as pariahs and often were underpaid and overworked by the Norms and Uppers. As an outsider with no wealth or status, Klaus was quickly classified as a Scab. Yet Klaus was undeterred, working manual labour jobs and adopting the name Herman Melville as he continued to search and listen for his sisters' whereabouts. Then came a day a year ago when an interesting conversation prompted him to make the riskiest decision of his life.

…

"I heard that Quentin has finally recovered, mates. That means Victory is back!" said Peter, one of Klaus's construction mates. It was their lunch break and most of Klaus's construction mates were gathered at a table. Klaus sat in between Peter and James, two of the construction mates that Klaus had gotten close too.

"Finally!" James replied as he chewed on his sandwich. "Man, wouldn't it be good to go on that game show?"

"You think they let us Scabs on the show?" Peter said dismissively as he shook his head. "Nah man, the game show is for the Norms and Uppers. They're the only ones that can afford it anyway."

"Sorry," Klaus remarked as his mates turned to face him. "But what is Victory?" Klaus asked as a bunch of the workers stare at him incredulously. Klaus had only been in Viceroy City for two months and was still unfamiliar with most of the things he heard.

"Christ, Herman! You never heard of Victory?!" Peter spoke incredulously as he clapped Klaus at the back. "It's only like the best game show ever!"

"Its full name is called Victory: Fortune or Debt," James explained as he grinned at Klaus. "Basically, it's a multiple choice quiz show where if you answer a question correctly, you get a certain amount of money. It starts from ten dollars then you go to a fifty, then a 100, then 250, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000, 25000, 50000, 100000,250000,500000, one million and finally one billion dollars!"

"So a total of…fifteen multiple-choice questions." Klaus replied, doing the math in his head.

"Exactly," Peter said. "However, this isn't your typical game show. You see, you get three lifelines to help you out in answering the multiple choice question which has four answers from you to choose. The first is 50/50 where you would get two incorrect answers taken away. You can also choose to phone a friend for help which is the second lifeline and the third would be to ask the audience. Mind you, once you've used up all your lifelines, you're on your own."

"That's interesting," Klaus said as he nodded along before pausing. "Wait, why is the game called Fortune or Debt?" Klaus's question was met with a round of chuckles all around as James clapped his back.

"That's what separates this gameshow from all those quiz shows you know," James replied excitedly. "You see, for the first six questions, if you fail to answer it correctly, you go back with nothing although if you choose to walk away, you'll go back with whatever it is, you've earned. So the maximum anyone can make while playing it safe would be a thousand dollars."

"But the thing is," Peter added as Klaus now turned to him. "Once you get past the sixth question, Quentin will ask you if you wish to proceed. If you do, you have to play until the end. Because, if you answer a question incorrectly, you would have to pay whatever is the amount of the question you're on! So if let's say, I make it all the way to the million dollar question and I get it wrong, I have to pay back a million dollars!"

"What?!" Klaus cried in shock. "That's crazy!"

"It is!" Peter replied.

"Precisely," James replied. "Hence why most people walk away after the thousand dollar question. Only the Uppers play on but they can afford to pay their debts."

"Let's not forget about old man Rickety down the street," Peter exclaimed as the other workers started chatting excitedly. "He played the game up until the 250,000 dollar question and he bombed there. Rickety was a Norm, nearly reaching Upper status and now, he's one of us." Peter sighed as he held up his right wrist where a green band was held.

The green band, Klaus knew, was an indication of one's status in Viceroy City. Once registration papers were fixed and residency was guaranteed in the city, one was ordered to wear a band to indicate their economic status. Those who pulled low income like himself, Peter and his mates wore green bands while average, middle class working individual wear blue. Only the rich and famous wore red though it was optional for an Upper to display his or her red band. Such a system disgusted Klaus and it was only after he had worn his green band for a day when he heard someone refer to him as a Scab. From then on, Klaus knew that terms such as Upper and Scabs were not official terms but jargon bred from the mouths of people who still stood by such bigotry.

"I heard Rickety begged the Home Office to allow him to keep his blue band." James sighed. "But you know how it is, here. Home Office said that with the debt, there was no way Rickety could afford the luxuries he had. They took everything from his home to cover the debt and labelled him a Scab."

"That's awful!" Klaus cried. "Why would anyone want to take part in the gameshow then?"

"Money," Peter exclaimed to murmurings of agreement from the other construction mates. "I mean can you imagine if one of us wins the game? Not that we could, of course, but can you imagine having a billion dollars? Think of what you could do with all that money."

"My kids would finally get everything they ever wanted," James replied as others listed ideas on what they would do with the money. "What about you, Herman? What would you do with a billion dollars?"

"I don't know," Klaus replied as Peter flashed him a cheeky grin.

"Come on, mate," Peter said as he nudged Klaus playfully in the ribs. "Maybe you could use it to impress that girl of yours."

"What girl?" Klaus asked, sounding confused.

"The one you keep staring at before you sleep, mate," Peter said as Klaus blushed heavily, the heat rising in his cheeks. Pulling out a photograph from his coat, Klaus handed it over to Peter.

"You mean this one?"

"Yeah, that's it! I never got a good look at it before." Peter laughed before whistling. "Ain't she a beauty?" Peter remarked as the other workers nodded in agreement. "Sorry, mate, no offence. And whoa, is that a kid? You seem kind of young here to be having one, you know, not that I'm judging."

"She's my…" Klaus cried indignantly before stopping himself and feeling a blush forming on his cheeks. One of the benefits of being a resident in Viceroy City was being able to access the libraries as well as the records of the public service centres at the Home Office. Klaus had been careful to inform anyone who asked that Violet Baudelaire and her sister Sunny were friends of his. It had raised a few eyebrows, leading to many assuming that Klaus and Violet had shared some sort of intimate connection.

"She's just my best friend and that's her sister." Klaus sighed, leading to looks of disbelief and laughter. Klaus's expression softened as he stared at the photograph which was being passed around. A smile came on his lips as he recalled the day. Beatrice had been playing with a camera that Sunny had found in the treehouse on the island. It was Violet who had the idea of letting Beatrice take a photograph of the three Baudelaire orphans. As he stared at the photograph with Violet seated next to him, holding hands as Sunny sat in her lap; Klaus blushed at the thought that Peter's inference didn't sound as absurd to him as it did moments ago.

"What are their names?" James asked as he handed the photograph back to Klaus.

"The little one is called Sunny and the older one is Violet," Klaus answered as he slipped the photograph back into his coat. "I've been trying to find them for six years now. No luck so far. I'm hoping that living here might give me a better chance."

"Well, if there's one place in the world where you can find them, it would be here," Peter exclaimed as he patted Klaus on his back. "Of course, I suppose if you win the game show, you could just take the other option."

"What other option?" Klaus asked.

"Well, if you win the game show, you get to choose between two choices you see. Either you get a billion dollars or you can ask for a favour from the Mayor himself." Peter said as Klaus listened intently. "That was the original prize years ago when the game started but it was considered so bizarre as to why anyone would want to ask for a favour from the Mayor when you can just take a billion dollars. It's still an official option, I suppose but it's more like a white elephant now."

The wheels in Klaus's head started to turn.

"Wait, so what you're saying is that, if I do win the game show, I can ask a favour from the Mayor himself? So if I ask him to help me find Violet, he could do it?" Klaus asked, his tone rising in excitement.

"Definitely," James replied. "The Mayor has a major influence all around the world, Herman and tons of resources at his disposal. He could probably find her in a day, maybe less."

His sister often described it as a lightbulb lighting up in her head whenever she came up with a solution to a problem. It was at that moment, Klaus felt a surge of adrenaline and excitement, unlike anything he had felt in the last six years. _This is how I find them_ Klaus thought as he turned to face Peter.

"I'm going to do it," Klaus exclaimed as Peter gave him a puzzled look.

"Do what?"

"I'm going to take part in Victory," Klaus replied firmly.

A burst of laughter erupted from the table. Klaus glared indignantly at the group. "I'm serious!" he cried.

"Sure you are, mate," James said sarcastically. "And I'm going to be an Upper tomorrow. Better apply before the Home Office closes."

"Herman," Peter said as he placed a hand on Klaus's shoulder. "Even if they let a Scab on the show, there's no way you can successfully answer all the questions. Scientists, lawyers, doctors, professors, all the most learned minds from all four corners of the globe have tried and no one has ever gotten past the million dollar question. These questions, they asked, they're not like the ones you learn in school. They come from a range of topics, mate. Why, you probably will have to be a genius if you want to actually want to win this thing."

"Not a problem," Klaus replied as a smile formed on his face.

….

Klaus watched as Arthur dragged a television set in front of him. As Arthur set up the equipment, Klaus turned to stare at the two-way mirror. He had no doubt who was responsible for capturing him and putting him in his current predicament. Many years ago, back when Count Olaf first slapped him across the cheek, Klaus recalled the last time he had felt so utterly hopeless. It was Violet who had comforted him and gave him the strength to push himself further than he ever thought possible.

The years without his family had taken a toll on him. Klaus recalled all the moments he had spent, asking questions, meeting with strangers, nights spent in libraries and travelling from town to town hoping to finally be reunited. Now, he was just one question away and though the entire world was on the edge of its seat, wanting to see him tackle the Billion – dollar question, Klaus only had one thought in his mind.

 _I'm coming, guys,_ Klaus thought as pictures of Violet and Sunny ran through his mind. _I'm coming_

Klaus watched as the television set sparked to life and images of his introduction on the show was seen. He recalled how Quentin had whispered to him about their viewership which had been steadily rising ever since the game show had promoted him as the first Scab to try his luck at the game show. Peter, James and his mates at his workplace had all offered him congratulations and well-wishes as Peter informed him that his appearance on the show had set the city on a frenzy with Scabs now rising up to speak up as a community. James had remarked that Klaus was not just a contestant on a game show, but a leader for a community of people that have been stepped on for far too long. Though there have been talks of revolt and the police forces have even stepped up their security details in the time his appearance was announced, it did not matter to Klaus. He had a goal, one goal and there was nothing that could stop Klaus Baudelaire once he made up his mind.

"Are you ready to do this?" Klaus heard Arthur say as he held up the remote control. Ironically, it was those same words that Quentin was poised to ask him, the image of himself being seated across from the host being shown on the screen. Klaus smiled as he stared back at Arthur, the answer coming to him as easily as it did six years ago when he asked the same question himself on a remote island somewhere out to sea.

"If I wait until I'm ready, I'll be waiting for the rest of my life," Klaus replied as Arthur nodded before pressing play.

….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Quentin had been outraged at the Mayor for allowing Klaus to be arrested and brought to the police station for interrogation. The sight of Klaus being waterboarded had horrified Quentin and yet, despite his protests, the Mayor remained firm, stroking his white beard as he watched Arthur and his men torture poor Klaus.

"This is wrong, Sir! You have to stop this!" Quentin yelled as the Mayor shook his head.

"Relax, Quentin. The boy was practically asking for it. Besides, they're only doing it as a deterrent. It's like my father always said, you get better results showing someone how sharp a knife rather than stabbing him repeatedly with it. Klaus here will no doubt understand that we're not the kind of people he should mess with."

"But still…" Quentin pleaded as the Mayor raised his hand, a sign that the conversation on the subject had come to an end.

"I'm surprised at you, Quentin. Not only are you standing up for a Scab but one according to police records, has done quite the number of crimes including murder and theft."

"Allegedly, Sir. The facts aren't incontrovertible." Quentin sighed, as he watched Klaus being released by Arthur. "I'm just worried that Arthur might go overboard and we would have to answer some questions from the public with regards to my contestant's appearance."

"You don't have to worry your pretty little head about that." The Mayor chuckled before gritting his teeth. Quentin could see the Mayor's eyes glaring daggers at Klaus through the glass. "I can't wait to knock him down a peg or two. Smug little prick. Thinks he's a billionaire already."

"He's not going for the billion dollars," Quentin exclaimed as the Mayor turned his attention towards him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Klaus Baudelaire isn't going for the billion dollars. He's going to take the Favour if he wins."

"Like hell." The Mayor scoffed derisively. "The boy would be throwing away a fortune! No sane person would turn down a billion dollars."

"Klaus would," Quentin replied. "He needs the Favour more."

"What could he possibly want?" The Mayor asked as he turned his attention back to Klaus. Quentin said nothing as he stared at the young man seated in front of Arthur thinking back to a few months ago when he first met Klaus Baudelaire at his home.

….

"Jonas!" Quentin exclaimed as his brother in law entered his living room. He gave Jonas a hug as he led him towards his fireplace where two comfy chairs, an assortment of cigars and two wine glasses await. "What brings you here?"

"Just want to congratulate you on a great show last night. Really riveting stuff." Jonas said as the tall, black-haired man gratefully accepted a cigar. Quentin scoffed derisively as he sat in his seat.

"Please. You don't have to mock me. It was a bore-fest." Quentin sighed as Jonas took a sip of wine before lighting up his cigar. "You would think that a professor of such an esteemed college would at the very least, go for the seventh question but no, he takes the money and runs! He's an Upper, for God's sake; surely he could afford a debt."

"It seems that's the way it's been going ever since you got back," Jonas replied gently.

"Tell me about it. Our ratings have been plummeting, Jonas!" Quentin sighed. "No one wants to see anyone play it safe. This game used to be about risk-takers! Now, all we have are people coming in and pulling out when it's safe. It's like having sex with a condom."

Jonas gave a laugh. "That's quite an interesting way of putting it."

"Now, the Mayor is up my ass as if this is all my fault," Quentin complained as he took a smoke. "I try telling him to push up the safety question but he refused me on it. Everyone already knows that the game is a way for the city officials to increase their wealth. No one is buying into the game anymore. Even the Norms have stopped applying!"

Jonas gave Quentin a strange look as he placed down his wine glass.

"Say, Quentin, what if I tell you that there's someone who's willing to go all the way? Someone who's willing to put it all on the line to go for the billion dollars? What would you say?"

"I'll say that your alcohol tolerance level has dropped tremendously, my brother." Quentin laughed. "Who's the Upper that wants to take a shot at it? Please don't say yourself, mate. My sister will kill me!"

"Not me," Jonas whispered as he moved closer to Quentin. "And he's not an Upper."

"A Norm?" Quentin exclaimed as he raised his eyebrows. "That's interesting. Tell me more."

Jonas gave Quentin a strained look. "Technically, he's not a Norm either. He's a Scab."

"A SCAB?!" Quentin cried loudly as he glared at Jonas. "Do you take me for a fool, Jonas? Or do you just enjoy pulling my leg?"

"I'm not messing with you!" Jonas snapped. "I'm dead serious. Look, last night I lost a bet playing cards with one of my employees and well, instead of having to pay him, he has requested that I ask you for an interview with him because he wants to join the show."

"Oh, so that's what you're playing at," Quentin replied with a scowl. "You're too cheap to pay him so you ask me to entertain this Scab for a like a minute or two."

"Mate, please!" Jonas begged as he gave Quentin a pleading look. "I would owe you one."

"I think you have overstayed your welcome, Jonas. You may take the cigar and leave." Quentin replied coldly as he pointed to the door.

Jonas stood on his feet. "The Scab is unlike anyone I've ever seen. His name is Herman Melville and quite frankly, he's a genius. He spends his free time at the local library, devouring knowledge, unlike anyone I've ever known. I'm not saying you have to put him on the show but at least, grant him an interview. Please, Quentin, for me. I won't ask you for anything else, ever."

Quentin took a moment to stare at his brother-in-law. In all the time they spent together, Quentin never knew Jonas to be a poor judge of character. Perhaps it explained why Jonas was the best lawyer in all of Viceroy City.

"Very well. When shall I meet the Scab?"

Jonas said nothing as he headed towards the door. Quentin could see him motioning to an individual outside as a young man, in his late teens, with messy brown hair and black glasses entered the room. The boy was lanky and of average height yet his face showed an expression of resolve as Jonas welcomed Herman into the room. Ushering Herman towards Quentin, Quentin watched as the man held out his hand.

"Hello Sir, my name is Klaus."

"Klaus?" Quentin said as Jonas gave Klaus a confused look.

"Yes. A learned man such as yourself could probably infer that Herman Melville isn't my real name." Klaus replied without missing a beat. "I wouldn't want to insult your intelligence by hiding behind the author of Moby Dick, sir."

Quentin gave Klaus a smile as he shook his hand. "And your last name?"

"That must remain a secret for now. " Klaus replied. "I can't tell you as of yet."

 _Interesting_ Quentin thought as he turned to face his brother in law. "Jonas, leave us. I will interview Klaus myself." As soon as Jonas left, Quentin motioned Klaus towards the chair. Klaus sat across from him, his arms by his side.

"You know most Scabs I know would at least sneak a peek at the cigars and wine. A taste of luxuries they could never afford."

"I have no need for such luxuries," Klaus replied. "I just want to be on the game."

"Why?" Quentin asked.

"I need a Favour from the Mayor. Only he can grant me what I need."

"And what do you need, Klaus?"

Klaus pulled out the photograph of him and Violet. "I need him to help me find her."

"Who is she?" Quentin said as he took the photograph before admiring Violet. "Girlfriend?"

"She's more than that," Klaus replied.

"Klaus, you do realise how the game is played, don't you? If you fail to answer any questions after the sixth, you would have to pay the amount that the question is worth. How do you suppose you are going to accomplish that?"

"If it comes to that, I'll work my debt off for the rest of my life but I assure you, Sir, it won't come to that. I have every intention of getting to that Billion dollar question and I have been studying and reading for quite some time now. I can do this, Sir, I promise you."

Quentin shook his head. "I'm doing you a favour, son. This competition will ruin you for the rest of your life. I admit, the idea of the very first Scab on my gameshow is tempting and hell, ratings would most definitely increase seeing as how Scabs make up sixty percent of my viewership but it's too risky. I'm sorry, Klaus."

"Ask me a question. A question that hasn't been on the game show so you'll know that I'm not just memorising episodes." Klaus replied firmly.

"Klaus…" Quentin sighed.

"Please, Sir. Just a chance."

Quentin took a moment to study the man that stood before him. Klaus certainly looked unfazed by the size of the task ahead. Most Scabs he knew would have taken to the hills, intimidated by the Norms and Uppers that stood before him but Quentin could sense the determination behind Klaus's words as he stared back at the stoic expression of the brown-haired Scab.

"Fine," Quentin replied, willing to humour Klaus in the least. "Off the top of my head, what is the 35th digit of pi?"

"8," Klaus replied, almost instantly.

Quentin was taken aback. Walking towards his library, Quentin pulled out a book with the first hundred digits of pi recorded. Flipping the pages, Quentin gasped out loud as he realised that Klaus was right.

"I can quote you the first two hundred if you wish?" Klaus said as he recited each digit of pi perfectly without missing a beat. Quentin stood there, astonished at what the Scab had achieved as a smile crept up on his face.

"That was impressive!" Quentin remarked as soon as Klaus was finished. He could see the Scab smiling warmly at him as Klaus nodded gratefully at the compliment. "How on earth could you possibly know that?"

"I memorised it when I was ten, Sir," Klaus replied as he held his hands behind his back.

"Please. Call me Quentin." Quentin said as he extended his hand for Klaus to shake. "You must have been a prodigy."

"More of a bibliophile with an eidetic memory," Klaus answered as a faint blush came upon his cheeks.

"Listen, Klaus," Quentin said in a serious tone. "I still think it's a mistake for you to contest but, if that's what you're willing to do, then give me some time to consider. I will need to discuss this with the Mayor."

"Certainly. Thank you for giving me this interview and this chance." Klaus replied as he shook his Quentin's hand once more. "I really appreciate it."

"The pleasure's all mine," Quentin replied with a smile on his face.

…

"Well, I suppose there is a silver lining to all this." The Mayor sighed before laughing and clapping his large hand on Quentin's back.

"What?" Quentin asked, not taking his eyes off Klaus.

"You'll be paying me a million dollars at the very least."

"What do you mean?" Quentin exclaimed in surprise, his attention now turned to the Mayor.

"Have you forgotten?" the Mayor replied. "The only reason this Scab got onto the game show is that you convinced me that you would sponsor him in the event that he misses out on a question. You should thank your lucky stars that I ordered for him to be removed before he could have a stab at the final question; otherwise, you would be owing me a billion dollars instead."

"Wait, hold up. So you have every intention of _not_ letting him go for the Final Question? Are you insane?" Quentin replied, raising his hands in the air. "Our numbers are through the roof! Ratings have exploded! Everyone and I'm not speaking in hyperboles when I tell you this but everyone in Viceroy City is hooked onto the game! There's even groups and discussions on what the Final Question could be and you're going to pull out the one contestant that has gotten there all on his own just before the finale? Admit it, Sir, Klaus Baudelaire is right. We've come too far. We have to at least allow him to answer the question."

"All on his own?!" the Mayor repeated as he glared at Quentin. "He's a bloody Scab, for God's sake! You honestly think that he got there all on his own?"

"How else could he have done it?"

"I don't know!" the Mayor threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "He could have some kind of listening device implanted in his ear that our detectors can't detect. Whatever the explanation is, it is at the very least, more plausible that the fact that the Scab here is a genius!"

"Maybe he is, Sir." Quentin sighed.

"If that's the case, then I fear, the situation is much worse."

"Why?"

"Use your goddamn brains, Quentin." The Mayor growled. "Think about the consequences of what would happen if Klaus Baudelaire actually succeeds in winning the game show. A lowly Scab, able to accomplish not even the greatest minds of our city can accomplish! A Scab who proves that he is better than all the other Uppers and Norms in our city, who have all gone to prestigious universities, colleges, academies, and schools! The Scabs have remained quiet for the longest time but Klaus winning might be the spark that ignites an uprising! Scabs demanding for equal treatment, equal rights! No, no. I will never allow a Scab to be the first to win the competition. That honour has to go to an Upper or at least a Norm. Once we get rid of Klaus, I will take steps to assure that an Upper wins the competition."

"You mean rig the gameshow?" Quentin exclaimed in disgust. "We can't do that."

"The hell we can!" The Mayor roared. "And you better get on board with this, Quentin, otherwise you can go back to your manor and sip wine and smoke cigars all day for all I care. No one gives about the host."

Quentin clenched his fists, outraged at such a threat. He chose to remain silent, however, as he turned to Klaus and Arthur, both of whom were now watching a recap of Klaus's performance in the competition so far.

 _Come on, Klaus_ Quentin thought angrily as waves of rage and despair ran throughout his body.

…..


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

If one has ever been on a game show, with thousands of people watching in the city and millions of people watching all over the globe, it would be an understatement to say that one should feel nervous and Klaus Baudelaire was no different. Yet the reason for his nervousness was not attributed to the game itself or the questions that he had to answer. Instead, the reasons for his nerves laid closer to his heart where Klaus felt a multitude of emotions rising. This was his hand to play, one that could cost him his freedom and yet at the same time, give him everything he had sought after.

"You nervous?" Quentin replied as Klaus bit back his answer. Though in the past he might have responded rather sarcastically, Klaus had changed quite a bit and there was no need to give any lip to the man that was giving him the best opportunity of finding his sisters.

"Yes," Klaus replied with a small smile on his face as he handed over his glasses. Ever since he was little, his eyesight had been slightly impaired, one that his parents feared would get progressively worse as he continued to read books with small typing and so they made him a pair of spectacles to see. Everything still looked fuzzy though Klaus could still make out most of what was in front of him.

"Sorry about this," Quentin said as he handed the glasses over to an official. "It's just that we had cheating cases in the past where individuals would wear glasses that allowed them to see past our two-way mirror. We placed that mirror to prevent individuals from communicating with the audience though you can still hear them, particularly if they're loud."

"It's okay," Klaus replied. "Part of the procedure."

"If you need me to repeat the question, just do so, okay, Klaus? Wait…I better start calling you Herman." Quentin laughed as he led Klaus down a long, grey corridor where a pair of large green doors stood at the end. As the pair reached the set of doors, Quentin placed his hand on Klaus's shoulders and pulled him to the side.

"Listen," Quentin whispered as his eyes darted along the empty corridor. "When we go out there, remember that you are in the public's eye and that you are playing a game. I know that you want to go and win that Favour from the Mayor to find your sisters but I don't want you to think about that right now. Focus on getting each question right, one after the other. Take it one step at a time, okay Klaus? I'm rooting for you. Hell, the entire city is rooting for you. So play your cards right."

"Yes. Of course." Klaus said as he extended his hand. "Thank you, Quentin, for everything."

Quentin gave Klaus a warm smile before shaking his hand. "Once more unto the breach, my friend."

"Henry V. Shakespeare," Klaus said as Quentin gave a light chuckle before pushing the doors open.

…

Using the word majestic might be an over-exaggeration to some but in the case of Klaus entering the arena, it seemed like the right word to use. All around Klaus were seats filled by over a hundred thousand people all gathering to watch him succeed or fail, depending on their priorities. Over his head stood the twenty-foot tall glass structure which would prevent him from seeing the audience and yet, with all the noise and chaos reverberating around the arena, even Klaus had to admit that he was somewhat impressed. Amongst the audience members were the Uppers, separated by their comfy red chairs and the Norms who were seated further behind in their blue chairs. Yet most of the spectators seemed to be made up of Scabs who despite their raggedy clothes and unkempt looks were cheering loudly for him, many of him carried banners bearing his fake name. Klaus felt a swell of pride as he tried to find Peter and James but the massive crowd proved to be quite difficult for him to see. Quentin, on the other hand, looked beside himself as he waved his hand to the crowd while blowing kisses all around.

"We never had a full house before," Quentin whispered as the crowd continued to chant his name. Quentin showed Klaus to his seat as the officials came to fix up Klaus's mike. Once Klaus was settled, Quentin turned to the crowd and cleared his throat.

"Welcome, Welcome all of you to Victory! Fortune or Debt!" Quentin roared as the crowd repeated his words enthusiastically. "My, my, what a turnout we have today! I must admit that all of you have exceeded my expectations! THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!"

A round of applause filled the arena as Klaus found himself drawn towards Quentin whose expressions and antics showed his incredible showmanship, unlike a certain count that Klaus had once crossed swords with.

"Now, now," Quentin said as he tapped his hands in the air, a sign for the audience to remain silent. "It goes without saying that today's game will be unlike any of the games that we have played in the entire history of this game show. For those of you who have been living under a rock or for whatever reason you may have not heard, today's game marks a very historic milestone in our history. For the first time, an individual who bears the green band in our proud city will be competing in our competition as he takes on seemingly insurmountable odds to win our glorious prize of a billion dollars!"

Quentin gave a slight pause as applause and cheers break out throughout the arena. Satisfied with the response, Quentin took to his seat as he clapped his hands. Almost instantly, two visual devices emerge from the ground and Klaus found himself staring at a blank screen, mere inches away from his hand.

"Now this individual might need no introduction, given the amount of publicity he has been having daily but let's just do it anyways," Quentin said with a silly expression on his face as the audience laughed along. "So, your name is Herman Melville, I take it? Similar to the author of that classic story, Moby Dick?"

Klaus paused as he looked around the arena. Besides the audience, Klaus could see a plethora of cameras facing him in every direction, no doubt each one televising the event to every corner of the globe. Klaus turned to face Quentin as he gave a slightly apologetic look.

"No."

A loud gasp came across the audience as people started to whisper excitedly amongst themselves. Quentin looked slightly taken aback before composing himself with a nervous smile.

"Haha. See, the importance of always double checking." Quentin laughed as some parts of the audience joined in while most were still chatting quietly. Klaus felt a twinge of regret having put Quentin in this position but as Quentin had told him outside the arena, he had to play his cards right. Klaus now had a worldwide audience and such an opportunity could not be wasted hiding behind a façade.

"My name is Klaus Baudelaire. I repeat, my real name is Klaus Baudelaire and I am a Scab."

The mention of the last word drew a chorus of cheers as well as jeers although, given the numbers in the audience, the latter was easily drowned.

"So that's your real name? Klaus Baudelaire? Why all the secrecy?" Quentin asked as Klaus turned his attention to him. He was relieved to see that instead of being irate, Quentin looked genuinely concerned as to what Klaus was about to answer.

"It's because, for past eight years of my life, I have been an orphan. And there have been many times when I often feared trusting people. But there are things more important than my fears and that is my resolve to see this game through to its end. You see…" Klaus said as he stood on his feet. "I have two sisters. My younger sister is Sunny Baudelaire and my elder sister is Violet Baudelaire. I have spent the last six years of my life trying to find them but to no avail. This is my last shot at finding them. So for my sisters if they are listening and especially for Violet, I'm alive. I'm here in Viceroy City and if you are watching this, please come here and if you can't, then I'll be coming to you. Whatever it is, I promise you that I will find you and that I love you both an inordinate amount."

As soon as he finished with his speech, a tear trickled down Klaus's face. He felt a slight weight lifted from his shoulders as he heard soft claps from the audience. As Quentin stood to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, the claps turned into resounding applause as people from the audience started to chant his name.

"Spoken like a true knight on a quest," Quentin said out loud as he led Klaus to his seat. Inside, Quentin was leaping for joy. Klaus had proven himself to be more than just a mere contestant. Finally, after hundreds of contestants have competed in the show, Quentin had a person that people could relate to. More than that, Klaus Baudelaire was someone people sympathise for and Quentin had no doubt in his heart that he had made the right call sponsoring Klaus into the game. Quentin nodded to the officials by the side as the glass structure started to lower itself to surround the pair. The audience grew silent as the lights dimmed. Quentin watched as the audience disappeared from sight and he and Klaus sat on opposite chairs with cameras and a powerful white spotlight shining from above.

"Now, for those of you who have never seen this game before, here is how the game is played. Klaus will have to answer fifteen multiple choice questions, each with a sum of money allocated to it. For the first six questions, Klaus may choose to answer or walk away and he would be given the money for the questions he has answered correctly. However, once Klaus has passed the sixth question, he can no longer walk away safely or answer incorrectly as the failure to do so would lead to him having to pay the amount of the question he has failed at. He would be given three lifelines. 50-50 where we give him a choice between a correct and an incorrect answer, he may choose to phone a friend or he may choose to ask the audience. Once a lifeline is used, it can no longer be used again. So Klaus Baudelaire, are you ready to play the game?" Quentin said as Klaus nodded his head. "Right, let us play Victory!"

Klaus watched the screen as the first question came into view. Though the question looked simple enough, Klaus took a moment to sneak a glance at Quentin who now looked to be frowning slightly. Yet the expression on Quentin's face disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"For ten dollars, which of the following weighs the heaviest? Is it…

A pound of feathers

A pound of gold

A pound of silver

They all weigh the same.

Klaus stared at the question for a moment before looking at Quentin and clearing his throat.

"Quentin, I would like to use my lifeline. 50-50."

…

Arthur spat out his drink as he paused the image on the screen before looking at Klaus in disbelief.

"You used a lifeline for such a simple question?" Arthur sneered as he gave a derisive laugh. Klaus stared curiously at Arthur.

"Didn't you watch the show?"

"I haven't seen any of it yet," Arthur replied as he took another swig. "I've only just got back from vacation."

"I see," Klaus said as he turned to face the mirror once more before staring back at Arthur. "The question isn't as simple as it looks."

"Course it is! The answer is obviously D." Arthur replied condescendingly. "Even my five-year-old child can tell you that. Everything weighs a pound so they all weigh the same."

A smile crept up on Klaus's lips as Arthur glared at him.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Klaus replied as he smirked at Arthur. "Just that it's nice to know that our esteemed police officers share the same amount of intelligence as a five-year-old."

Arthur balled his fists. "You giving me cheek, boy?"

Klaus glared at Arthur before softening his expression. "No. Just play the video. You'll understand what I mean."

"How is it you got to a billion questions, I don't even know," Arthur replied icily as he reached for the remote. "Seems foolish to waste a lifeline so early in the game."

"Not really," Klaus said as Arthur pressed the play button.

…..

Quentin stared back at Klaus in disbelief. Behind him, he could hear the scoffing of the crowd, most of whom he recognised as voices belonging to the Uppers. Yet Klaus was unfazed as Quentin studied the same stoic expression on his face as he had seen back at his home.

"You sure about that? I just want you to know that if you choose to go ahead with this, you won't ever get to use that lifeline again."

"I'm sure," Klaus said as he repeated his previous words once more. "I want 50-50."

Quentin gave a sigh. "Very well. Computer, please remove for us two incorrect answers."

As soon as the screen flashed once more, Klaus could hear a collective gasp as he smirked to himself. There were only two answers left. A or B.

"A. A pound of feathers. Final answer." Klaus said as Quentin locked the answer in.

….

"What?" Arthur cried as a round of applause was heard at Klaus's success of answering the question correctly. "What in the world…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Klaus replied as he interlaced his fingers. "The question was tricky, to begin with. Usually, you would be right in saying that all three items weigh the same as they all weigh a pound and as a ten dollar question, you wouldn't have expected anything less. But the thing is, from the moment I sat in that chair, I knew the truth."

"What truth?" Arthur asked.

"That someone didn't want me to win," Klaus replied as he glared at the mirror. "The key was in the word, weigh. You see, a pound of feathers uses a weighing system known as the avoirdupois system which is what you used to weigh most things. Sixteen ounces equates to a pound so a pound of feathers would weigh 453.39 grams. However, gold and silver are precious metals and are weighed according to the troy system where only twelve ounces equate to a pound bringing the weight to be around 373.24 grams. Hence a pound of feathers weighs more."

"But the question is only worth ten dollars," Arthur replied. "Why have such a complex and tricky understanding of the question?"

Klaus could only smile at Arthur as his mind shifted back to the past once more, nearly ten years ago.

…..

"Poor guy," Klaus said as he and Violet sat across the television set. On the screen of their television set, there stood an image of a couple of fighters boxing in a match. Klaus felt a great deal of sympathy as the shorter bald fighter looked to be taking some hard hits from his larger, black-haired opponent.

"I know right," Violet replied as she ran her fingers through her long hair. "That big guy is being played so badly."

"What are you talking about? He's winning." Klaus exclaimed as Violet gave a laugh.

"Tell you what. Let's make a bet. I pick the bald guy and if he wins, you'll have to do my dish-washing chore for tonight. If you win, I'll do yours tomorrow."

"Deal!" Klaus replied excitedly as he shook his sister's hand. Together, the pair of them glued their eyes to the television set. The fourth round of the fight was happening and Klaus felt a rush of delight as his large boxer appeared to be decimating the smaller fighter.

Suddenly, a strange turn of events happened. The smaller fighter dodged a punch from the larger boxer and landed a well-placed punched around the back of the larger fighter. Klaus stared at the larger opponent appeared to be frozen in his tracks as the bald fighter repeated the move once more. Almost instantly, the larger opponent collapsed to his knees as the referee checked on him before declaring the fight over.

"What the heck?!" Klaus cried indignantly as his sister cheered out loud. "What the heck just happened?"

"You got cocky, that's what happened!" Violet answered as she laid her head on his shoulders.

"The fight's a joke," Klaus replied irritably as he crossed his arms. "Someone probably rigged this."

Violet raised her head as she stared at her younger brother before sighing.

"Klaus, you know better than to be a sore loser. Tell you what, congratulate me and I'll explain why the other fighter won."

"Fine." Klaus sighed before smiling at his sister. "Congratulations. I'll do the dishes tonight."

Violet beamed at her younger brother. "Well, the thing is, my baby brother, you missed out on a very important clue. When my fighter was getting beaten up, to you and to many people I suppose, all you see is a guy being way out of his league. But for me, I saw a guy who is actually very, very clever. He wasn't getting beaten up because he was a bad fighter. He was getting beaten up on purpose."

"Why would anyone do something stupid on purpose?"

"Sometimes, what may seem silly to others is in fact, a brilliant move," Violet explained gently. "The bald fighter was doing two things. He was studying his opponent's move as well as getting him to a point where his opponent's body would be strained from having thrown blow after blow. Once his opponent made a mistake, my fighter simply took advantage. He wasn't getting beaten up, he was _studying_. Strategizing. And when an opportunity presented itself, he took it. The bald fighter knew he couldn't beat his opponent straight up so he simply invented another way to do so."

"So what others may perceive as weakness, it was actually playing to his strengths," Klaus said, impressed at Violet's explanation. "That's brilliant, Violet"

"Thank you!" Violet replied as Klaus watched a faint blush appear on her cheeks. "Sometimes, showing your weakness is the best way to measure your opponent."

The pair of them waltzed into the dining room where Sunny was busy chewing a piece of wood she had found in the garden. "Come, let's get ready for dinner. And afterward, I'll help you with the dishes."

"But I lost the bet, Violet," Klaus replied. "I can't let you do that. I must stand by my word."

"True," Violet replied with a smile on her face as they walked with linked arms as they made their way to the kitchen. "But you're my brother. I can't help it." Violet said as Klaus beamed at his older sister.

….

As Klaus watched Arthur reach out for the remote control, his eyes darted towards the mirror. In the weeks prior to the game, Klaus had spent his free time at the library expanding his general knowledge. It also presented him with an opportunity to read about the game show itself as well as the Mayor of Viceroy City. The Mayor, it seemed, was a very private person and not once, not even in the papers, was his name ever mentioned. However, the Mayor was a man who commanded a great deal of respect and exerted his influence, not only in the city but in many places around the globe. Klaus often wondered how the Mayor would react to him joining the game though according to the laws of the game show, although Quentin could officially approve him for taking part in the game, the final say rests with the Mayor who ran a great deal of operations behind the game including the assignment of questions.

Thus, a lifeline was a worthy sacrifice for Klaus to gauge who he was up against. It became clear to him, as soon as he answered the first question correctly, that he was no longer on a game show but rather in a fight against a very powerful opponent. One who would do anything to prevent a Scab like him winning the competition and in the strange sense of irony, the Mayor was also the only one who could give Klaus what he desired most in this world. Fifteen questions had become fifteen rounds and in this prize-fight, Klaus had walked away weakened but victorious in the first round.

 _Fourteen more to go._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As the applause rained around him, Klaus could hear some of the audience clapping in unison behind him as they cheered his name. He had no doubt that those particular audience members consisted of his fellow Scabs, many of whom synchronised their hands to cheer him on and boost his morale. Yet as Klaus listened to the loud claps, he couldn't that his mind went back once more to that horrible day at sea.

….

CLAP!

CLAP!

CLAP!

Thunder was booming all around them as bright flashes of lightning lit up the dark skies. They had tried their best to avoid the approaching storm and yet despite the Baudelaire's best efforts, they had found themselves having to survive a raging thunderstorm. Of course, to all three of the Baudelaire orphans, this wasn't something that was new to them having previously sailed through a hurricane in a lake full of monstrous leeches. Yet, Klaus still felt fear in his heart as he stared at Beatrice and his sisters. Violet had secured Sunny and Beatrice safely with a blanket protecting them from the rain as she and Klaus tried their best to sail the boat through the powerful waves and strong winds.

"Klaus!" Violet yelled as she pulled against the sail while Klaus continued to steer the boat. "We have a problem!"

"What is it?!" Klaus yelled back as Violet pointed to something in the distance. Though his face felt wet, Klaus felt his throat run dry as he stared at horror at the thing Violet was pointing at. He had read all about it in the comfort of his library back in the day and though his parents would take turns reading to him about Jules Verne's classic, 20,000 leagues under the Sea, Klaus could have never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, that he was about to encounter it.

A whirlpool had formed in on the ocean's surface as Klaus felt the Beatrice being drawn towards it. Violet had abandoned the sail as she ransacked the small hold of the boat where the Baudelaires had stashed anything they would need for a voyage at sea.

"I have an idea." Violet cried as she pulled out what appeared to be two very large and long metal cans as well as a small bunch of fireworks and other flammable items. "Newton's Third Law!"

"Of course!" Klaus cried excitedly in response, his mind understanding what his sister intended to do. Newton's Third Law refers to a very simple fact. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. What this meant was that Violet intended to create a force so powerful that it would steer the boat away from the strong currents dragging them into safer waters where they could navigate their way through. Klaus secured both the infants to the boat as Violet made her two makeshift rockets placing them above the steering as she lit the fuse. As soon as she had done that, Violet made her way to Klaus and placed her hands around him as tightly as she could.

"Let's hope it works!" Violet yelled as Klaus turned to her.

"Of course it will!" Klaus said as Violet gave him a grateful smile. Though the rain was pouring, the spark burning the fuse appeared to be moving along quickly.

"Who thought that starting a fire might save us!" Violet whispered as she turned to him. Their noses were inches apart as Klaus stared into the blue eyes of his sister. Before he could say anything, however, a large bang was heard as Klaus felt the boat violently burst through the waters at a frantic pace away from the whirlpool. As the boat sailed through the waves, cries of pain were heard as the boat slammed through the massive waves. Just as Klaus was beginning to feel relief at having escaped their fate, Klaus felt a powerful force hit him from underneath the boat as he and Violet were flung through the air. Upon instinct, Klaus kicked out his legs, pushing himself off from Violet and into the freezing waters of the sea.

…

"I think he's frozen with disbelief, audience. Klaus, are you still with us?"

Klaus dragged himself away from his thoughts as his eyes met with Quentin who stared bemusedly at him while small bouts of laughter were heard all around him. Klaus gave Quentin a smile as he composed himself.

"I'm fine. Let's keep going." Klaus replied as Quentin nodded his head.

"Alright then, on to the next question," Quentin replied as the second question flashed on the screen in front of him. Klaus smiled broadly as the question appeared. Klaus had known the answer before Quentin finished reading the question the audience. Before he could answer it, however, something Quentin said next gave him pause.

"So Klaus, are you ready to answer or do you need another lifeline?" Quentin asked playfully as the audience laughed around him. Though the question was made using a playful tone and Klaus knew that Quentin didn't mean any insult by bringing it up, the word 'lifeline' caused a pang of guilt and pain to pierce Klaus through his heart. It was strange, how often a word, though seemingly innocent in its literal form could bring pain metaphorically. _Then again, so does its literal meaning_ Klaus thought as he gave his answer.

…

Klaus felt himself being submerged into the water before pulling himself up to the surface. Grasping for breath, Klaus grabbed onto a piece of broken wood from the boat as he used it to stay afloat. His glasses were now lost as Klaus rubbed his eyes, trying to see the damage that had been caused by the boat hitting a wave.

He could make out the _Beatrice_ , or rather what was left of it floating at sea. The back part of the boat was gone although the boat itself remained afloat. His spirits were further lifted upon seeing Violet swimming towards the boat where Sunny and a crying Beatrice appeared at its side. He watched as Violet lifted herself onto the boat. It was only after Klaus was sure that his sisters and Beatrice were safe that he took a moment to assess his situation. He was about a hundred feet away from the boat and he could feel the current pulling him away. As hard as he could swim, Klaus knew it would be pointless to try and doing so would only tire him out.

 _Newton's Third Law_ Klaus thought as he recalled how he had kicked Violet away as he was thrown. The force from his feet must have slowed her momentum, pushing her closer to the boat as he was thrown far away and dragged even further. Klaus could hear Violet screaming his name as well as Sunny. He yelled back and waved as Violet caught sight of him. He could see Violet frantically moving about the boat when all of a sudden, Klaus felt something hit the water close to him. It looked like a piece of wood and around it was a rope. Klaus turned his attention back to the boat where Violet was screaming desperately at him.

"GET THE ROPE, KLAUS!" Violet screamed as Klaus made his way to the rope. Grabbing onto it, Klaus felt the rope tightened as he watched Violet pulling hard on one end while using some sort of makeshift device to pull him towards the boat. Klaus felt a moment of relief before he froze in the water, a surge of fear running through his body.

 _Newton's laws of motion_ Klaus thought as he stopped pulling. Violet's invention was dragging him towards the boat but it was also dragging the boat towards the currents that threatened to drag them back to the whirlpool. As Klaus heard Violet screaming at him, his eyes rested on the rope. He could feel his energy plummeting as he stared towards the Beatrice, his mind made up on what he had to do.

"KLAUS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Violet screamed as Klaus released the rope.

"YOU CAN'T PULL ME BACK IN! WE CAN'T LET THE BOAT GO BACK TO THE WHIRLPOOL!" Klaus yelled back.

"ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET THAT ROPE!"

"I CAN'T, VIOLET. I'M SORRY!" Klaus said as he threw the rope away, his lifeline disappearing under choppy waters.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Violet screamed frantically as though he couldn't see it, Klaus knew that there were tears streaming down his face. "KLAUS! DON'T DO IT! WE NEED YOU, KLAUS! I NEED YOU! PLEASE, PLEASE COME BACK TO US!"

"I can't," Klaus whispered as he shook his head. He could hear Sunny crying and screaming his name as well. The cries of their pain pierced his ears even through the loud claps of thunder as Klaus watched the people he loved most in the world getting smaller by the second as their boat drifted away.

"KLAUS, COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK! KLAUS!KLAUSSSS!"

The sound of Violet screaming was the last thing he heard as a powerful wave knocked him under once more though Klaus had a strong grip on the piece of wood. Klaus dragged himself onto the piece of wood as he hugged it for dear life. As Klaus closed his eyes and awaited death to reach him, a series of visions invaded his mind.

…

"Spaghetti alla puttanesca, a well-known recipe in the world today, originated from which region of Italy? Is it…"

Venice

Turin

Naples

Milan

"C. Naples. Final answer." Klaus replied as Quentin nodded at him.

"Correct!" Quentin roared as the arena broke out in applause. "Looks like you don't need a lifeline to save you this time."

…..

"How did you know the answer?" Arthur asked as he paused the screen. Klaus shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he watched himself on screen. He could see himself react the same way as Quentin spoke the seemingly harmless response though Klaus knew better. The words had provoked some painful memories to return and in doing so, Klaus was transported back to the past once more.

….

 _Beatrice._

 _Klaus could see himself holding her in his arms as he tried to get her to sleep. Though Violet's rocking crib could do the same, Klaus felt the need to do it himself as Violet and Sunny watched him with smiles on their faces._

 _Sunny._

 _Klaus could see himself back when he was very young. Sunny had been crawling towards him, giggling as he tried to ignore her for what must have been the millionth time. He had felt a sense of resentment towards Sunny when she was born, something he had acknowledged as part of being pushed into the role of a middle child. As Sunny got closer to him, Klaus pulled away. Yet Sunny kept coming closer and closer until Klaus, having reached the end of his patience, slammed the book shut and intended to storm out. It was only a small grip on his pants that held him back. Klaus turned around, fully intending to glare and scold his little sister when he saw Sunny biting his pants, not intending to let go. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms, his expression fully crossed until Sunny touched his cheeks with her soft, tiny hands. The gesture caused Klaus to be taken aback as he stared into the bubbly and loving face of his sister who proceeded to touch her lips on his cheek. Feeling a wave of affection, Klaus sat back on his chair as he bobbed his sister on his knee and laughed along with her. It was the longest time Klaus had ever spend in the library not having read a single book._

 _And then, of course, there was Violet_

Drips of water on his face caused Klaus to blink his eyes open, feeling irritated at having being dragged from his final thoughts before his death. Yet as his vision became clear, so too did his situation as Klaus felt his senses coming into action. His hands and feet rubbed against something coarse as a thought struck Klaus. He was no longer at sea.

Instead, his hands and feet were deep in wet, brown sand as Klaus gave a groan from having lied down on the plank of wood for so long. His cheeks felt warm from heat, heat, Klaus realised, having come from the sun that was now shining brightly on his face. In front of him, Klaus could see that he had landed on a beach, with what looked like two large stones in front of him.

The word miracle was one Klaus hardly used. As a man of knowledge, science, and logic, the word miracle seemed to belong to an entirely different world, one founded on religion or beliefs in a higher power controlling one's every move. Miracles suggest that something had happened that could not be explained or defined which to Klaus, was mostly poppycock. Klaus prided himself on finding a reason or explanation for things in this world and the word miracle seemed to him to be a lazy approach upon assessing a situation.

Yet as Klaus found himself gasping for breath and the sun burning on his cheeks as he laid upon the hot sand of a beach, Klaus would soon realise that his initial thought towards the word miracle might have been a little short-sighted. He was alive, against all odds, on a beach when he should have drowned in the whirlpool in the middle of the storm. Klaus turned to lay on his back as he lifted the brown piece of wood above his head. His heart gave a jolt as he saw what was written on the piece of wood.

 _Beatrice_

Klaus had been floating on a piece of his boat all along, no doubt part of the boat that had broken off in their escape attempt from the whirlpool. Klaus turned his head to look up at the sky as he watched birds flying through the clouds above his head. The drips of water that had been falling on him looked to be coming from the clouds above, a slight drizzle in an otherwise bright day. Klaus could scarcely believe how much the weather had changed from having being caught in a turbulent downpour to having the weather being mostly…

 _Sunny_

Klaus hoisted himself onto his feet as he turned around to stare at the pieces of stone that he had seen. Though it wasn't clear to him before, it was clear to him now that someone had marked the stones. Klaus felt a sickening feeling enter his body as he recognised the words.

"Kit and Olaf." Klaus cried in horror as he looked around him, the place he had been stranded on was the same one that he and his family had tried to leave. Klaus Baudelaire was back on the island although this time, there was something much more different. This time, Klaus was well and truly alone.

As he contemplated the situation, Klaus did what any normal person under these circumstances would do. Klaus shut his eyes and pounded against the sand while screaming over and over everything that was coursing through his veins. After five long minutes of an emotional breakdown, Klaus collapsed on the sand, his eyes facing the sea as he watched the waves calmly push against the coast. The drizzle had now turned into a shower as rain pelted Klaus on his white shirt. Yet as he sat there until the sun went down, only a single thought ran through his mind.

 _Violet_

…..

Despite the familiar surroundings, Klaus felt like an unwanted guest as he entered the treehouse that he and the Baudelaires had called home for over a year. As soon as he entered, his eyes spied the abandoned crib belonging to Beatrice and the table where they had eaten their meals which was riddled with bites from Sunny. All around him were gears, levels, and pulleys systems all designed by Violet to assist them in their daily lives. It was a strange thing, entering a home which had once been a source of life and happiness but now seemed empty despite the collection of items assembled inside. Throwing himself on the couch, Klaus allowed himself a moment of respite before assessing his situation once more.

The issue with being stuck on the island was that there was no way for Klaus to leave until the day that the tides turned in his favour. He had about a year to live alone by himself and fortunately for Klaus, the Baudelaires had kept a larder along with enough supplies for a person to survive a full year. With a smile, Klaus held on this strand of a silver lining. There was something quite relieving about not having power over his situation. Doing what he did best, Klaus took out a notebook and started to plan. He would have to build a boat that could withstand the tides and more importantly, he would need to get word to his sisters that he was alive. A horrible thought overcame Klaus as he wondered if his sisters were still alive as well but that was dismissed as quickly as it came. Violet would not have allowed anything to happen to Sunny and Beatrice.

As his mind travelled to Violet once more, Klaus's heart started to ache. They had fought just before the storm and Klaus wished he had at least make amends for his argument. What seemed so important to him just several hours ago now seemed trivial at best. As he stared at the spot of the couch where Violet would always sit, Klaus thought back to a year ago where he, Violet and Sunny entered the treehouse once more together with a newly-born Beatrice.

…..

Violet had invented a crib to place Beatrice inside while Klaus read up on what a baby needed to have during the first few months of their birth. They then tucked Sunny into her own bed, the need to share one no longer required as there was ample space in the house. Klaus had wanted to go to bed but seeing his sister on the couch, with a pensive look on her face overruled his fatigue.

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked as Violet stared out of the window. From it, Klaus could make out the spot where they had buried Kit and Olaf in small graves, side by side.

"Just thinking about some things." Violet sighed as she patted the spot next to her for Klaus to sit. "Anyways, I'm just wondering about our current situation. Do you think we're ready to do this? Become parents to Beatrice?"

"Of course we are," Klaus replied, without hesitating as he sat next to his sister.

"How can you say that so calmly?" Violet asked as she turned to face him.

"Because…it's us. We've been taking care of ourselves so far and with Sunny, I think we have enough experience between us to handle it." Klaus replied as he smiled at Violet. "But I guess the reason I'm feeling slightly optimistic is because of you."

"Because of me?" Violet cried in surprise.

"Yes, because of you." Klaus smiled as he squeezed his sister's hand affectionately. "You're the one who takes care of me and Sunny. You're the one who always watches out for us. I know it might be a weird thing to say but I know you're going to make an excellent caretaker to Beatrice. Even a mother."

Violet stared at Klaus for a moment before giggling.

"So if I'm a mother, does that mean you're the father?"

Klaus felt his cheeks reddened as he awkwardly spoke. "Uh…I mean…I guess the official word is caretaker…not father… I mean…not that I would make a good one."

"Excuse me?" Violet cried indignantly as she looked slightly cross at Klaus. "Why would you think you're not going to be a good father?"

"Because I'm not," Klaus replied with a sigh.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Klaus?" Violet replied as she crossed her arms.

"Do what?"

"Sell yourself short." Violet sighed as she squeezed her brother's hand. "You always think the best of me, Klaus and you always see me as some sort of genius and role model…"

"Because you are!"

"But do you think I would be the way I am if it wasn't for you?" Violet said as she stared at him. "Do you think I would be the person that you see me as if not for you? Klaus, I would have lost all hope if I didn't have you by my side, constantly helping and pushing me to be the woman you see in front of you. You and I have worked through so many obstacles together with Sunny. You're right. I do feel optimistic about what we have to do but it's not just because of me. I have Sunny and more than that, I have you, Klaus. If you weren't in my life, I would be lost."

"Don't say that," Klaus said, not wanting to imagine a world without Violet. Violet gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm not going anywhere. No matter what, we'll stick together, Klaus." Violet replied as Klaus beamed at his sister. Violet turned to face the graves once more and sighed.

"I know," Klaus said sadly as he tried to make out the gravestone for Kit's resting place. "I liked her too."

"Wasn't really thinking too much of Kit," Violet replied as Klaus stared at her blankly. "Just trying to figure out how I really feel about Count Olaf being gone."

"I know," Klaus said as he nodded his head. "Though it might be horrible to say, I'm glad that I won't have to look over my shoulder anymore to see him in some sort of disguise or gimmick in his quest to steal our fortune."

"It's not that," Violet said as she laid her head down on the couch, her head resting on Klaus's lap. "You remember what Mother used to say about your enemies? Her favourite quote?"

"That sometimes you get more from an enemy than from a friend?"

"Exactly. As much as I hate to admit it, Count Olaf was a great motivator for me and my inventions. With him always trying to get to us, I was forced to invent things to help us out. Olaf pushed me beyond my limitations."

"Necessity is the mother of invention." Klaus snickered as Violet giggled.

"And you! Think of how much knowledge you were forced to read and more importantly, use. Like Father used to say, a man with knowledge but who does not use it is as useful as a donkey carrying a bag of gold on its back. Olaf pushed you past your limitations. He may be a monster but he was a worthy opponent."

"Would he have been a good husband though?" Klaus said as Violet made a face.

"I don't date anyone that doesn't appreciate our pasta puttanesca," Violet replied as the pair broke out in laughter. After the laughter had died down, Klaus sighed as he stared out of the window, thinking about the long journey they had made from Briny Beach to the island.

"I still think we did a good job on that pasta though," Klaus said as he stared out the window. "I remember reading the recipe and its origins over and over. Did you know that the recipe originated from Naples…"

Klaus stopped speaking as he looked down to his sister sleeping soundly on his lap. Not wanting to wake her up, Klaus draped a nearby blanket over her as he removed his glasses before falling asleep with his sister's head on his lap.

….

"Did you hear what I say?" Arthur said as Klaus dragged himself back from his thoughts.

"Yes, of course," Klaus said as he recalled the first day on the island alone, waking up with the hope that his elder sister was still sound asleep on the couch with him only to see that he was alone. Klaus heaved a sigh, not wanting to return to those first few weeks on the island alone that had driven him to places he rather not visit. Taking a moment to compose himself, Klaus turned his attention to Arthur.

"Look, if you want me to explain how I know the answers, then I would have to tell you everything starting from the beginning where it all went wrong," Klaus spoke as Arthur listened intently. "You might find this story unbelievable but I swear to you that it is the truth. I just hope you have the stomach to listen to it."

"I'm a police officer," Arthur replied dryly. "I think I can handle your series of unfortunate events."

"It's your choice," Klaus said as he stared at the two-way mirror before turning to face Arthur.

"Where shall we start?" Arthur asked as Klaus closed his eyes.

"Briny Beach."

…..


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Well, Klaus. Two questions in. How are you feeling?" Quentin asked as Klaus gave him a small smile.

"Enthusiastic," Klaus replied as Quentin laughed.

"Very well. Let us go to Question Three." Quentin said as the screen flashed once more.

"In the animal kingdom, the Horntoad is what type of creature? Is it…"

A toad

A lizard

A snake

A spider

Klaus gave a light chuckle as Quentin stared on in amusement. _Three questions in and the boy seemed unfazed_ Quentin thought as he could see Klaus smiling at the question, his mind appearing to be elsewhere.

….

Klaus Baudelaire walked towards the birds that were lying in the trees. Careful as to not disturb or provoke them in any way, Klaus waited patiently until one was close to him. Moving as quickly as he could, Klaus grabbed a bird and captured it in his trap before bringing it down into the treehouse.

It had been four months since Klaus had been stranded on the island alone as he placed the bird cage on the table. Removing the note that he had rolled up in a tiny bundle, Klaus attached the note to the bird's feet while bringing the cage out into the open and releasing the bird. Though the effort might seem to be futile and in all logical sense, it was hopeless to assume that the bird may somehow find its way to his sisters or to anyone who knew his sisters, Klaus had written a note a day to send out into the world, praying for another miracle.

 _If Violet knew I was on the island, she'll come to get me_ Klaus thought hopefully as he watched the bird fly out into the sky. He had initially attempted to do this using glass bottles and putting them into the ocean but the currents pushing against the island made it impossible for any message floating on the water to be pushed out to sea. Klaus went back to working on his boat, fixing yet another plank on its side. The boat, which Klaus had named _Violet_ , was much larger than the Beatrice and would be more than capable of taking on powerful storms. Klaus sighed, thinking about how much easier it would have been to have Violet helping him or Sunny using her powerful teeth to chew through the wood. As Klaus sat down on the beach to have a breather, he spotted something rustling in the long grass. A closer look allowed Klaus to see a small snake slithering in between the grass. He smiled affectionately at the snake though his heart ached upon remembering their first real guardian, Uncle Monty.

…..

"Do you really think Uncle Monty knows what he's doing?" Klaus asked as he changed into a fresh, white shirt. The abrupt arrival of Count Olaf posing as Stefano had caused his senses to be on alert as Klaus threw himself onto his bed.

"Of course he does," Violet replied as she entered the room. She had worn the same purple blouse as she did, Klaus noted.

"Where's Sunny?"

"Downstairs with Uncle Monty," Violet replied as Klaus gave her a look of concern. "I'm sure she's fine."

"Is she?" Klaus replied, his tone still sceptical about Uncle Monty. Klaus had found himself drawn to the world-renowned herpetologist whose attributes and character made him quite an endearing guardian for the orphans and yet, Klaus could not get rid of the nagging feeling at the back of his mind. Their previous encounter with Count Olaf had him on edge and Klaus could still feel his anger hiding somewhere inside of him.

"Klaus, you have to stop worrying about Uncle Monty. We have Olaf now to deal with." Violet said as she sat on the bed next to his.

"Well, I can't help it, Violet. I'm still angry."

"I know." Violet sighed. "Count Olaf is a monster and we will make sure that he's caught and put behind bars."

"No, not Olaf," Klaus said as he sat up to stare at Violet. "Our parents."

"Klaus…" Violet started to speak but Klaus shook his head.

"No, Violet," Klaus replied firmly. "I'm angry at them. Remember how I said that we don't even know why our parents send us to Briny Beach? Well, think about it. If they sent us there, that means they knew something was going to happen to us. To our family. So why didn't they?"

"Why didn't they what?" Violet asked.

"Come along!" Klaus cried in exasperation. "We're their children, Violet. Parents are supposed to take care of their kids! Not abandon them or send them to live in abusive homes."

"That was because Count Olaf tricked Mr. Poe," Violet whispered, not wanting the conversation to continue.

"So what? Our parents must have known that something like this might happen to us and yet they still intended for us to be by ourselves. Live by ourselves. Why couldn't they have come with us, Violet? Why did our parents keep secrets from us? Why give us away to someone we have never met in our lives?"

"I'm sure they had their reasons." Violet sighed

"Well, then it's their fault. It's their fault all this is happening to us." Klaus growled as he clenched his fists.

"Klaus, our parents loved us more than anything else in this world," Violet said as she sat next to him. "They wouldn't have put us in this situation unless they absolutely had to."

"Then why not at the very least write us a letter or tell us what was happening or pass us a message of some kind?" Klaus replied. "Come on Violet, you're not naïve. Our parents abandoned us."

"Klaus…"

"They left us to fend ourselves.

"Klaus…"

"Left us in the hands of strangers and do you know why?"

"Klaus, please, I'm begging you…"

"Because they hate us," Klaus said as Violet stared at him in shock before walking over to the next bed. As soon as Klaus saw his sister's face, he felt his anger disappearing as a look of concern came over his face. There were only a few moments in his life that Klaus had ever seen his elder sister cry and yet, none came close to that evening just before dinner when Violet's face was streaming with tears. Klaus immediately sat next to his sister, throwing a comforting arm around her.

"Violet, I'm sorry. I should have kept my mouth shut."

"Why? You're right." Violet said as she continued to cry. "Why shouldn't we feel angry towards our parents? I could have been married to that monster and you and Sunny might have been…" Violet could not bring herself to finish the words as Klaus pulled her into a hug. In the years that Violet and Klaus had spent together, the number of times Violet would comfort her brother would always surpass the number of times Klaus would do the same. In the moments where he had to step up, Klaus would often try to see the positive light of things, taking a leaf from his sister's book in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Our parents did save us though," Klaus said as he stroked his sister's hair lightly. "If it wasn't for them, we would have perished in the fire as well."

"Not to mention if it weren't for them raising us, we wouldn't have the skills to survive," Violet added as Klaus pulled away from the hug to smile at his sister.

"At least we still have each other. That's what important." Klaus said as his sister smiled at him.

"And we have Uncle Monty, whom you have to admit, is a pretty cool guardian," Violet said as Klaus nodded in agreement. "We should do everything to make sure that Olaf doesn't do anything bad to him."

"Of course!" Klaus said as he spied a book on the table. He had taken one of the books on herpetology to read the night before and an idea came into his mind.

"Klaus?" Violet asked with concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling…" Klaus said as images of reptiles and creatures filled his head until one came into view. Clapping his hands in delight, Klaus smiled excitedly at his sister. "….Horny!"

"What?!" Violet exclaimed as Klaus dragged himself away from his thoughts to see his sister staring at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement in her eyes. "You're feeling horny?!"

"What?! NO! I mean…." Klaus stuttering, flushing red with embarrassment as his older sister broke out in giggles. "No! What I meant is that I could ask a question about reptiles that would cause Count Olaf to stumble and be distracted. I was thinking of this creature called the horntoad or horny toads which, you might think are toads or frogs but are actually lizards!"

"Righttt…" Violet said as she tried to stifle a giggle while grinning at her brother. "That makes more sense. Come, let's head down for dinner."

Klaus could still feel the heat emanating from his face as a quick glance from the mirror showed that he was still crimson-faced.

"Klaus?" Violet called out as they headed for the bedroom door.

"Yes?" Klaus asked.

"Thank you for comforting me," Violet said before giving her brother a cheeky grin. "Although the next time you do comfort a girl, best not to tell her that you're feeling horny."

"You're never going to let me forget this, are you?" Klaus groaned as they left the room.

"What do you think?" Violet chuckled.

…

"The answer is B, a lizard. Final answer." Klaus said as Quentin beamed at the boy. "Correct!" Quentin cried as another round of applause echoed throughout the arena.

"My, my. That is impressive." Quentin said as he took a moment to study Klaus. The boy had just answered three questions without even a shred of nervousness and Quentin couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of hope that Klaus Baudelaire would actually be able to win the competition. He felt a wave of affection for the young man, whose look of resolve appeared to be as steady as the day he first met him.

"How did you know the answer?" Quentin asked as Klaus appeared to be slightly taken aback before composing himself.

"I had an uncle who took care of my family once. Uncle Montgomery Montgomery was probably the greatest herpetologist the world had ever seen." Klaus replied proudly. The use of past tense in that sentence indicated to Quentin that there was more to the story than meets the eye. However, sensing that nothing good can come from prompting Klaus further, Quentin gave him a smile and introduced the fourth question.

"Question number 4. What is the phobia assigned to the specific fear of objects in the house that can be perceived to be potentially dangerous? Is it…"

Domatophobia

Emetophobia

Claustrophobia

Oikophobia

Quentin could see Klaus frowning at the question as he stared at the question. Clearing his throat, Quentin intended to remind Klaus that he still had two lifelines to use. However, before he could say anything, Klaus looked at him and smiled. Quentin could hardly believe it.

 _He knows the answer!_

….

The fourth question wasn't one that was too difficult for Klaus to answer as he knew the answer but rather what made it difficult was the memory attached to it. The third question had prompted the reminder of the deceased Uncle Monty, one that Klaus couldn't help but feel a sense of survivor's guilt. Survivor's guilt, Klaus knew, was a term used to describe a mental condition that occurs when one believes they had done something wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not. Klaus had felt it during the early hours after Uncle Monty's murder and he felt it on the day he was stranded on the island again though the latter did not last long as Klaus took faith in his sisters and Beatrice's survival. Instead, the fourth question had prompted a memory of survivor's guilt that was carried by Violet that Klaus had no idea existed until one night at the island treehouse where he caught Violet sitting on a tree branch.

Klaus had just put both Beatrice and Sunny to sleep. They were only about three months away from escaping the island and he and Violet had split tasks amongst themselves to prepare for the sea voyage ahead. One of the tasks they had assigned to themselves was to write a recollection of events that had happened to them since the day Mr. Poe visited them on Briny Beach to inform them of his parents' demise. Klaus had spied the book open on Violet's bed and the open window next to her bed indicated that Violet had gone out to sit on her favourite branch. Sure enough, as Klaus stuck his head out the window, he could see his sister in a white nightdress, carefully balancing herself on the branch. Taking the book with him, Klaus made his way outside.

"Hey," Klaus said as he climbed up the branch to sit opposite his sister. Violet smiled at him before groaning at the sight of the book.

"Urgh, I left the book on my bed for a reason. I don't want to see it right now, Klaus." Violet said as she averted her gaze from him.

"Why?" Klaus asked as he gave his sister a puzzled look. "Which event were you writing about?"

"Lake Lachrymose." Violet sighed as Klaus's eyes widened with realisation. He could understand why the particular event was difficult to write. Although Count Olaf had already committed murder with Uncle Monty, Lake Lachrymose proved to be the murder site of one Aunt Josephine whom Count Olaf had thrown mercilessly to the leeches.

"It's okay," Klaus said as he closed the book. "Sunny and I can write up this event."

"No, I have to do it." Violet sighed as she turned to look at Klaus. "If I'm ever going to move on from what I did, I have to write it down."

"What you did?" Klaus asked, looking confused. Instead of replying him, Violet gestured at Klaus to sit closer to her as Klaus heeded her call by hoisting himself onto her branch. The strong branches of the massive tree were more than capable of taking their weight as Klaus sat across his sister.

"Klaus, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Violet."

"Did you ever blamed yourself for anyone of the deaths caused by Count Olaf in his pursuit of our fortune? Like if our fortune never existed, wouldn't these people be alive?"

"Violet, you can't…"

"Klaus, please," Violet said, cutting him off. "I really want your honest answer."

Klaus sighed out loud before nodding. "Of course, I feel that way sometimes. Uncle Monty, Aunt Josephine, Olivia Caliban, Jacques Snicket…so, so many others. But we can't let it get to us. This is what is called survivor's guilt. A term used to describe a mental condition that occurs when one believes they had done something wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not. But the thing about survivor's guilt is that the survivors shouldn't blame themselves. It isn't that fault that these horrible things happened. You shouldn't blame yourself, Violet. That's all on Count Olaf."

"Tell that to Aunt Josephine," Violet muttered as Klaus shifted closer to his sister.

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked as Violet heaved a sigh.

"It's my fault that she's dead."

"No, it's not!" Klaus replied indignantly, flabbergasted that his sister would say such a thing.

"Yes, it is."

"Why?"

"Because…" Violet sighed as she looked away from Klaus. "Because I was the one who pushed that we look for her, remember? I convinced you that we had to take care of her because she was our guardian and look what happened. Count Olaf had no idea she was still alive as she had faked her death. I took us to Curdled Cave and got Aunt Josephine out and look what happened. If we had just allowed Count Olaf to take us, we could have figured out another way to escape him and Aunt Josephine would still be alive."

"Violet," Klaus said, not believing his ears. "Firstly, I was there with you on all of that and so was Sunny so you can't blame yourself for it. Secondly, no one could have possibly predicted that Count Olaf would have done such a horrible thing."

"You were still sceptical about guardians, Klaus and Sunny would have listened to whatever we wanted to do." Violet sighed. "This one is on me."

"No, it's not," Klaus said firmly. "If you're going to blame yourself for Aunt Josephine, I'm going to blame myself for Uncle Monty."

"How could you possibly say that?"

"Because I knew who Count Olaf was and I did nothing to prevent Uncle Monty's death that night," Klaus replied. "You know that the nights prior to movie night I would often stay up late just to make sure that Uncle Monty didn't have something sinister up his sleeve. If I hadn't fallen asleep on movie night, I could have woken up and prevented his death."

"Then you would have been killed, Klaus," Violet exclaimed. "It's absurd to think that."

"Exactly." Klaus sighed as he gave Violet a sympathetic look. "It's absurd for either of us to think that we could have changed the outcome of what happened in the past. I'm sorry that Aunt Josephine is dead as well as the others but we shouldn't blame ourselves for things that aren't our fault. Count Olaf has caused us more pain than anyone should have to endure and we shouldn't allow him to continue to hurt us even after he's gone."

"I know that." Violet sighed before giving Klaus a bittersweet smile. "I know. I'm trying to move on but I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else rather than me trying to convince myself that Aunt Josephine's death wasn't my fault. It's just difficult, you know?"

"I understand." Klaus sighed as he looked at his sister. Though she wasn't crying, Klaus could sense the pain and despair in his sister's eyes as she recalled loved ones from the past that had perished. It was strange, seeing his sister so fragile and vulnerable when Klaus always imagined her as a strong and confident figure and yet, it was in these moments between the pair that Klaus always felt were the foundation of their relationship.

There are moments in life if you choose to comfort someone that you might think of putting a comforting arm around them and pulling them close might be the way to do things. Perhaps you might take it a step further and offer them chocolates or a bouquet of flowers. But Klaus didn't do any of that. He knew, better than anyone, that Violet would be fine and that she would move on. What she needed right now was space. Maybe even a small distraction from her thoughts. Klaus stared at the book where Violet had written down the event starting from the introduction to Aunt Josephine up to the moment where she made chilled cucumber soup. Klaus gave a light chuckle as Violet looked curiously at her brother.

"What?" Violet asked as Klaus slowly made his way down the tree to Violet's wide window.

"Well, it's just that I realise you've made several grammatical errors on this page right here," Klaus said as he pointed to a page while his sister stared incredulously at him. "Not to mention you used the wrong term for one of the words. The phobia that Aunt Josephine has isn't domatophobia."

"But that's the word I found in the library!" Violet cried indignantly.

"Well, it's the wrong one. Domatophobia refers to the fear of the house itself, but not the objects inside." Klaus replied as he smirked at Violet who stuck out her tongue at him. Chuckling, Klaus reached for the window and pulled himself in.

"Klaus!" Violet called out before Klaus's body could fully enter.

"What?"

"Thank you," Violet replied as she beamed at him. "Thank you for being here."

"Always," Klaus replied with a grin on his face.

"So what's the phobia, genius?" Violet asked as Klaus proceeded to bring himself into the room. Turning his head to face Violet, Klaus smirked at his sister.

"Well, that's easy. The fear of objects in the house refers to the phobia known as….

….

"D. Oikophobia. Final answer." Klaus answered as Quentin locked in his answer. As he stared at the screen, Klaus tuned himself out from the roaring gales of laughter and cheers for his successful answer to the question. He could see Quentin being positively giddy with joy. Sighing, Klaus thought of his answer and the last time he had read the word.

Klaus placed the book detailing the life of the Baudelaire orphans on the table before adding the pages to his own. Taking one last look at the place he had called home for _two_ years, Klaus made his way to his boat and pushed it off to sea. He had considered remaining on the island for a while longer as it was once told to him by his mother that if ever he should be lost, Klaus ought to stay in one spot so that it would be easier for people to find him. However, the overwhelming loneliness and lack of companionship on the island had prompted Klaus to set sail without so much as giving the island a second glance. He, like Violet, was ready to move on and so, Klaus set sail on his boat.

It is here that one should fast-forward the story as Klaus's voyage to the nearest land was not one without events. Rather, the days in the sea, though few in number, were the furthest thing from uneventful as Klaus had to deal with all sorts of obstacles like the day he had to sail his boat past a giant squid. Nevertheless, less than a week later, Klaus Baudelaire found himself reaching the coast which was surrounded by some strange and tall-looking trees. Taking only the necessary amenities needed, Klaus made his way through the forest.

After an hour of combing his way through the forest, Klaus came across a brown, sandy road. Looking around at either side, Klaus could only make out the forest in both directions. Dismayed at the lack of a signpost, Klaus continued to trudge slowly down one of the paths. He had been so lost in his thoughts that Klaus did not realise a car was fast approaching him behind. Noticing it at the last second, Klaus jumped out of the way as the car, a white coloured sedan, stopped next to him. Klaus watched as the front door of the car opened to reveal a chubby man with black hair and a warm and friendly smile on his face.

"Are you lost?" the man asked as Klaus took a moment to assess him. The man seemed harmless enough but then again did so many others before they took advantage of Klaus and his sisters.

"Yes, kind of," Klaus replied warily.

"Well, how about I give you a lift to the nearest town?" the man asked as Klaus contemplated the offer. The man did seem innocent enough and with the night approaching, Klaus couldn't see a better option. Nodding his head, Klaus helped himself to the front seat of the car.

"My name is Bobby but everyone calls me Bob." the man called Bob exclaimed as soon as Klaus entered the car.

"My name is… Herman." Klaus replied not wanting to disclose everything to the man just yet.

"Nice name," Bob replied as his enthusiastic and cheery face reminded Klaus of another optimistic person they had once crossed paths with.

"So tell me what is it a boy like you is doing alone in these woods?" Bob asked as he switched on the car's engine.

"I was travelling and got separated from my family," Klaus said, not wanting to reveal more. "I was trying to make my way to the nearest town where I'm sure my family would have gone to ask for help finding me."

"Dear me, of course!" Bob replied looking concerned. "I will take you there as soon as I can but unfortunately there is a place I need to get to. See, I work for a company that intends to require a piece of land that's been abandoned. It's along the way to the town and it would only be a quick stop, no more than ten minutes."

"Of course," Klaus replied, feeling grateful towards Bob. "You offering to help me is more than I could ever ask for. Thank you for doing so."

"Don't mention it," Bob replied as he beamed at Klaus. The car was now moving at a steady pace. As Klaus peered out the window, he couldn't help but feel the slight rise of optimism.

"Where are we headed to, anyways?" Klaus asked, feeling curious as to the land Bob had to see.

"Oh, it's just the former site of a small village that has a lumber mill. Been abandoned ever since a fire broke out and workers revolted against the poor working conditions."

"What's it called?" Klaus asked, feeling a sense of uneasiness. The next few words from Bob's mouth confirmed that despite one wanting to feel optimistic about one's chances at achieving something, it was also prudent for one to be cautious as well.

"Lucky Smells Lumbermill."

….


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

If there ever was a prize for the most miserable place to live, Paltryville would be high up on that list. As Klaus and Bob entered the dreary ghost town, Klaus could not help but feel a strong sense of regret as he stepped foot inside the abandoned lumber mill. It was here that Klaus, under the hypnosis of Dr. Georgina Orwell, had nearly killed a man and had badly injured Phil. It seemed even after more than a year, Klaus still felt haunted by what he had nearly done. Entering the mill itself, Klaus could see the late optometrist's office in the distance, the familiar eye-shape that was the symbol of V.F.D.

"I'm just going to take some pictures. I won't be staying long." Bob replied as he removed his camera from the car. "Don't see why she would want to buy over this land. Best to leave it to nature."

"Who's she?" Klaus asked as Bob snapped a photo of the office.

"My employer," Bob replied as he wandered off into the mill. "Be back at the car in ten minutes."

Klaus took a moment to survey the grounds. Around him were huge piles of logs, rusty equipment and what looked like shredded pieces of police tape. The last item urged Klaus to enter the mill where he headed for the furnace.

Despite his anger towards the late optometrist for nearly causing him to commit murder as well as attempting to kill Sunny, Klaus couldn't help but feel a slight amount of pity for Dr. Orwell. Being burned alive was a horrible way to go and Klaus could only shudder in horror as he recalled just how close the Baudelaires came to falling apart here at the furnace.

Klaus continued to roam the grounds of the mill until he came to the former office of Charles and Sir. Entering the library, Klaus sighed at the empty shelves. There had been books, of course, of Paltryville's history, most of which were altered to put his parents' in a bad light but nonetheless, they were proof that his parents had once lived there. His eyes then spied two brown leather chairs, the same ones he and his sisters sat in nearly two years ago. Lying down on one of the chairs and closing his eyes, Klaus could picture Violet sitting next to him as she did back then.

…..

"Where's Sunny?" Klaus asked as Violet entered the room once more.

"She's in the loo," Violet said before giggling. "She told me if there's no toilet paper there, I should remove the pages from the books that have been altered so she can wipe her butt with it. Our sister can really be quite vengeful."

Klaus laughed before peering through the window once more. He could see Mr. Poe talking to his wife as Violet made her way behind him.

"Are you okay?" Violet asked with a look of concern on her face as Klaus turned to face her.

"No, Violet. I'm not." Klaus sighed as he threw himself on the brown leather chair. Violet sat next to him as she grabbed his hand.

"I nearly killed a man today, Violet."

"Klaus, it wasn't your fault. You were under a hypnotic spell and you didn't kill Charles! We managed to beat Olaf and Dr. Orwell."

"But I could have." Klaus sighed as he removed his hand. "I nearly killed him, I hurt Phil and I put our baby sister in danger, Violet! Even if I was under a spell, it was still me doing all those things."

"Klaus Baudelaire," Violet spoke loudly as Klaus turned to face her. His sister was using his full name just as his parents did whenever they wanted to tell him something serious. "Don't you dare blame yourself for anything! You are not at fault."

"Yes, I am," Klaus replied as Violet shook her head.

"If you're going to blame someone, blame me," Violet replied as Klaus stared at her in shock.

"Why on Earth would you say that?!"

"Because, Klaus, I was the one who was supposed to protect you and Sunny. That's my job." Violet sighed as she looked away. "If I hadn't insisted that we stay to find out more about our parents, the three of us would have been safe from this wretched place."

"No, don't do that please." Klaus cried as it was his turn to grab his sister's hand. "Look, I know it's not my fault and I know that sooner or later, I'm going to be okay from all this but I just need to feel it right now, you know? It's just how I cope with all of this."

Violet turned to face him, a steely-eyed glare of determination on her face. "Well, if you want to blame yourself for something that's not your fault so that you can deal with it, that's fine. But I'm going to shoulder some of the blame as well."

"Why?" Klaus asked as his sister squeezed his hand with a bittersweet smile on her face.

"Because it's my job."

"I can take care of myself, Violet."

"So can I, Klaus. But we both know no matter what, we both will be taking care of the other, won't we? I look out for you, you look out for me and we both look out for Sunny."

Klaus gave his sister a genuine smile. "Guess I can't get rid of you that easily, huh?"

Violet gave him a playful nudge on his shoulder. "Nope. You're stuck with me. I mean, what I said back at the lumber mill, Klaus. I miss you an inordinate amount because I care about you an inordinate amount." Klaus noticed that his sister had taken a step towards him, her face level with his and only inches apart. Even though she was older than him by two years, Klaus had grown much taller since his younger days and was now slightly taller than Violet. He could see his sister's piercing blue eyes stare at him as her rosy cheeks had a hint of a slight blush.

"Gigglegoobe."

Klaus and Violet turned to see Sunny crawling on the floor as she smiled at the pair. To anyone else, the phrase that Sunny used might seem to be nothing more than baby chatter but Violet and Klaus knew better as Violet held up her sister before bringing the trio into a small, family hug.

 _So do I, Klaus. So do I._

…

"The answer is A. Inordinate," Klaus replied as he stared at Quentin who gave him a grin.

"So, for the fifth question that asks you to describe the love Romeo and Juliet had for each other, you had the options of four choices. So out of the words, inordinate, superfluous, insipid and proportionate, you chose the first one. Is that your final answer?"

"Yes, it is. A. Final answer."

"Correct!" Quentin roared as the crowd applauded and screamed Klaus's name once more. "Bravo, my boy, bravo!"

"Thank you," Klaus replied.

"Tell us, Klaus," Quentin said as he smiled at him. "How did you figure out the answer?"

"Well," Klaus explained as he shifted in his seat. "The story of Romeo and Juliet is one of tragedy and yet remains one of the most popular expressions of love. Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers who met one night after a party and fell madly in love. So much so, in fact, that they ended up committing suicide as one could not live without the other. That kind of love is something I would describe as excessive hence the word inordinate seems to be the best and closest description."

"Interesting," Quentin replied as he grinned at Klaus. "So tell us, Klaus Baudelaire, are there any fair maidens or perhaps any gentlemen that have caught your fancy? Anyone special in your life?"

Klaus blushed deeply as he shrugged his shoulders in silence.

"Such a modest boy," Quentin said as the audience laughed behind the structure. "I'm only asking because there are quite a few members in the audience that are eager to know if you're available. I mean, he's quite the catch, isn't he ladies? Handsome, smart, and if he wins the game show, would be rich as well. Your typical Prince Charming."

Klaus said nothing though he could feel his face getting warmer by the second. Fortunately for him, Quentin took his silence as a cue to move on.

"Maybe later, perhaps," Quentin said as he pictured a few in the audience who were probably slightly disappointed at not getting an answer. "Let us move to question six, the final question that can guarantee a sum of money. This is where everything changes, people."

Klaus listened to the audience clapping as the sixth question appeared on the screen. _Everything changes, indeed_ Klaus thought as he stared at the sixth question.

…

"Wake up, Herman," Bob said as Klaus blinked his eyes open. They were entering a small village that was surrounded by the forest though Klaus could see a train station nearby. All around them were small houses with a multitude of colours as people went about their day, mowing the lawns, talking to one another and there was even a field where children flew kites. Klaus could see Bob passing by the police station where he drove towards a large, white manor with enormous golden gates.

"I'm just going to hand my camera over to my employer first," Bob replied as the car stopped in front of a pair of large, oak doors. "Come inside. We can use the phone to make a call to the police station to see if your parents are there. Plus, my employer had fixed for us a nice meal if you would like to join us."

The growling inside his stomach dragged any thoughts of finding his sisters out of his mind until he had appeased his starving appetite. Following Bob inside the manor, Klaus was surprised to see a pair of uniformed soldiers in tight red outfits welcoming them in. The manor looked fit for a king or queen as all around him, Klaus could see items of luxury from the soft, crimson carpets to the large, golden fireplace which was surrounded by walls and walls of books. Whoever stayed here seemed to be a bibliophile like himself as Klaus found himself quite eager to meet Bob's mysterious employer.

Entering the dining room, Klaus could see a butler pulling out a seat for himself as Klaus gratefully accepted his seat at a long, dining table. On the table was an array of dishes from roast beef to mashed potatoes and after months of dining on fruits, fish and vegetables on the island, Klaus felt his spirits rising as he savoured the delights which waited for him. As Klaus wore his napkin, a door creaked open as Bob took to his feet. Klaus did the same, ready to introduce himself to the mysterious employer when upon seeing the person, felt both his napkin and his jaw fall to the floor.

The employer made her way towards the table, pausing to stare at Klaus with a look of recognition and delight evident across the face. Bob, however, did not notice either her nor Klaus's reactions as he cleared his throat.

"Herman, May I have the honour of introducing you to the Duchess of Winnipeg," Bob said as Klaus found himself face to face with Jacquelyn Scieszka once more.

….

"I can't believe it really is you, Klaus," Jacquelyn said, with tears in her eyes as Klaus ended his recollection of events since the last time they met.

"I can't believe you're a Duchess, Jacquelyn," Klaus said as Bob frowned at him.

"It's okay, Bob," Jacquelyn said as she patted him on the shoulder. "Klaus and I are old friends."

"I still can't believe your name is Klaus." Bob sighed as Klaus felt a tinge of guilt, having to hide his identity. "You could have told me."

"It was smart of him not to," Jacquelyn replied, coming to his defence. "You've seen how much Klaus had to endure. All that pain, all that horror. I would find myself lying as well if I didn't know who to trust."

"I'm sorry, Bob," Klaus said as he gave the man an apologetic look. "If it helps, you've been so good to me and I do trust you now."

"Oh, no harm done," Bob replied with a smile.

"Jacquelyn," Klaus said, turning his attention back to the Duchess. "Have you heard any word about where my sisters and Beatrice could be?"

"Well, I don't know anything about your sisters, I'm afraid," Jacquelyn said with a sad sigh. "However, I do know where Beatrice is. She's with me."

"With you?!" Klaus exclaimed in astonishment.

"Yes." Jacquelyn smiled. "About a year ago, when I was still looking into your whereabouts as well as what happened during the Hotel Denouement Fire, I came across a woman who lived in a fishing village who told me she had adopted a baby from a nearby orphanage. I thought nothing of it, of course, until the woman told me that the orphanage had taken care of the baby from two girls, one who was a toddler herself."

"Violet and Sunny!" Klaus cried in excitement.

"Yes," Jacquelyn said as she smiled at him. "That caught my attention and I went looking through the papers and saw that on one of the papers, the baby's mother's name was called Kit Snicket. Excited, I read on and found that the baby's name was Beatrice."

"You found her!" Klaus clapped his hand as he sighed in relief. Any doubts that his sisters had perished at sea was wiped clean off his mind.

"Not only that, but the girl who registered Beatrice had a name. Nicola Tesla." Jacquelyn replied as Klaus gave a laugh.

"That's her favourite inventor."

"I figured," Jacquelyn said before sighing. "I asked the orphanage as well as the woman if they knew about your sisters' whereabouts but they didn't. According to the orphanage, Violet had placed Beatrice under temporary care where she will then take over when she turns eighteen but with the orphanage growing in number and no contact from your sister, the orphanage was forced to hand it over to the woman. Fortunately, I was able to convince her to let me have Beatrice for a sizable amount of money."

"What?" Klaus cried indignantly. On one hand, he was glad that Beatrice was with Jacquelyn and yet, on the other hand, the idea of someone placing a price on Beatrice sounded like a bad joke to him. As far as Klaus was concerned, no amount of money or fortune could ever force him to part with his loved ones.

"Tell me about it," Jacquelyn replied. "She's currently staying in my mansion in Winnipeg. You're welcome to visit her if you want. She is yours and your sisters' of course but I wouldn't suggest bringing her along when you're trying to locate your sisters."

"Of course…" Klaus replied, feeling slightly disappointed. The thought of seeing Beatrice again had certainly crossed his mind and though the thought of reuniting with at least one person from the island warmed his heart, Klaus knew that he could not possibly bring Beatrice along. Nor could he visit her just yet. His sisters were somewhere out there in the world and with Beatrice being under Jacquelyn's care, she was as safe as houses.

"I need to find Violet. And Sunny." Klaus said as Jacquelyn nodded her head.

"I have been using all my resources to locate you and your sisters, Klaus, and I will continue to do so. In the meantime…"

"I have to be out there looking for them," Klaus said as he stood from the table, pushing his plate of unfinished roast beef away from him. "Thank you both and I really appreciate everything you've done for me but I should really get out there to look for them."

"Klaus," Jacquelyn replied sharply as she motioned for him to take a seat. "While I admire your willingness to go out into the world and search for your sisters, I must inform you that the path you're about to take would be a poor one. You have people that are out there looking for your sisters. People like…"

"The V.F.D," Klaus answered grimly as he shook his head. "No, I won't be a part of your organisation again, Jacquelyn. I left the past behind me."

"Then let us volunteer our help, at the very least." Jacquelyn implored as Klaus sat back in his seat. "What you and your sisters have done for us, giving us the sugar bowl back, we owe you a great deal of gratitude. If only you knew about its contents…"

"I do," Klaus said as Jacquelyn gasped. Klaus sighed before telling her about Kit's final words towards the Baudelaire on the island.

"Then all the more you understand just how grateful we are," Jacquelyn replied as she walked over to put a hand on his shoulder. "Let us find your sisters. You've done enough."

"You don't get it, Jacquelyn." Klaus sighed. "I can't just stop looking even if others are. I have to do something. We're talking about Violet and Sunny here. They're important to me."

"Important might be an understatement," Bob said as he gave a supportive nod towards Klaus.

"Very well." Jacquelyn sighed before contemplating something in her head. "I suppose if you are insistent on going at it alone, the first thing we would have to do is give you a new identity. I've been trying to clear your name, what with the information Justice Strauss has gathered though wherever she is and what she knows is out of reach for me. We would have to get some registration papers ready. How old are you, Klaus?"

"Fifteen this year."

"That's too young for him to be on his own," Bob added.

"You're right, Bob," Jacquelyn said as she thought long and hard. "I might have an idea as to what your next course of action is, Klaus," Jacquelyn said as she revealed her plan to the pair of them. Klaus's eyes widened as she spoke.

"Wait, what?" Klaus exclaimed as soon as Jacquelyn finished speaking. "You want me to go back to school?!"

"Think about it, Klaus. When you're sixteen years old and have your schooling qualifications, it will make easy for me to get you your new identity." Jacquelyn explained. "Furthermore, you would be seen as mature enough to be on your own and with your new qualifications, should you need to apply for lodging or a job in some foreign place, it would make it easier for you. Besides, you'll be safe in a place of knowledge where I can always reach you should we have news of your sisters."

"I don't know about this…" Klaus replied, unsure if this was indeed the best course of action.

"Trust me," Jacquelyn said as she patted him on the shoulder. "You just need to complete a single term. With your extensive knowledge, school will be a breeze for you and the place I intend to send you is now under our management once more. You'll be safe there. There's nothing more you can do for Violet or Sunny now, especially if you don't take care of yourself. Think about Violet, Klaus. What would she want you to do?"

"Fine." Klaus sighed as he nodded at Jacquelyn's suggestion. He knew his sister would probably urge him to continue his education. Besides, he could always make new friends and ask them for their help in trying to find his sister. He gave Jacquelyn a grateful nod.

"Okay," Klaus said as he clapped his hands. "Where would I be going to school?"

Jacquelyn and Bob exchanged looks as the former gave Klaus an encouraging smile before whispering the name of the school. Klaus's eyes widened once more as he groaned in frustration.

"You have got to be kidding."

….

"So for question number six," Quentin spoke as the audience grew silent once more. "Gabriel Mouton was a French abbot and famous scientist from the 17th century. His greatest contribution came in which of the following fields. Is it…

Time measurement

Density

The metric system

Astronomy

"It's C. The metric system," Klaus replied without hesitating. "Final answer."

"Incredible." Quentin gasped. "That is…the right answer!"

The audience gave their applause once more as Klaus waved around him, knowing that the audience could see him through the structure. Quentin looked positively impressed.

"My word, Klaus. Not even the slightest bit of hesitation." Quentin said as Klaus beamed at him. "How could you have possibly known that? What school did you attend?"

"Prufrock Preparatory School."

"They must have quite the syllabus down there to be able to garner such a genius," Quentin exclaimed as Klaus merely shrugged his shoulders. Klaus had already known about Gabriel Mouton even before going to Prufrock and yet his time there with Violet had certainly helped to bring that memory forth.

….

"This is insane, Violet," Klaus grumbled as he threw his book down to the floor. Sunny chided him in her soft voice as Klaus gave his little sister an apologetic look from ruining the name cards she had carefully stacked neatly.

"I'm sorry, Sunny." Klaus yawned as Sunny yawned back at him before tucking herself at his feet.

"Urgh," Violet grumbled as she threw down her book. "Who cares about the colour of cows? How is any of this actually relevant to one's studies?"

"Tell me about it." Klaus sighed. "Instead of asking me about how long a navy, blue scarf is, I could be learning about centimetres and length and the history of it. Like did you know that the metric system has sometimes been attributed to Gabriel Mouton, A French abbot whose book…"

"Klaus, please," Violet replied, cutting him off. "If I have any more information put into my head at the moment, it's going to explode."

"At least, I give out useful information," Klaus said as Violet leaned her head on his shoulder. Sunny was asleep at their feet as Violet and Klaus smiled down at their sister. Sunny had insisted on doing power naps, a routine where one took naps at random times so as to conserve energy.

"You think the Quagmires are alright?" Violet whispered as Klaus pressed his cheek on top of hers.

"I hope so." Klaus sighed. "I can't believe that Duncan and Isadora actually agreed to help us by running laps all night. It's just an incredible gesture."

"Well, they're both incredible people," Violet replied with a smile on her face. "It's like Duncan said. Friends do things like this for friends."

"I agree," Klaus replied. "Although you had to admit, with what little time we knew them, to do something like running all night so that we can study for some silly test is awfully big of them. It's more than expected for a couple of people just being friends."

Violet pulled her head away as she gave Klaus a cheeky grin. "Well then, maybe their intentions aren't just to be our friends. Maybe someone wants to be more than just friends."

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked as he sat cross-legged in front of Violet.

"All I'm saying is that friends don't give friends kisses on the cheek." Violet laughed as Klaus felt his face redden.

"She's just being nice," Klaus said as Violet raised her eyebrow.

"Right. I'm sure that's why Isadora did it."

"Okay, what about you then?" Klaus spoke with a similar cheeky tone to his voice. "What about you and Duncan?"

"What about us?" Violet asked.

"Oh, nothing," Klaus spoke before giving his sister a smirk. "It's just that I notice the way he stares at you all the time. It's almost as cute as the way you stare at him."

"What? No!" Violet replied hastily, crossing her arms. Klaus's smile widened as he noticed his sister's cheeks had gone red.

"It's okay, Violet. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to spend more time with you." Klaus replied. "I mean, after all, what are friends for?"

"I'm sure Isadora would be willing to do the same to you as well, Klaus," Violet spoke as she glared at him before grinning. "Just make sure you don't tell her that you're horny."

"Ahhh!" Klaus groaned as his sister started to giggle. "I thought we agreed to let that go."

"You agreed. I didn't." Violet replied before staring out through the cracks of their shack with a worried look on her face. "Do you think they're alright, though? Count Olaf is watching them and I fear that he might hurt them if our ruse is discovered."

"They'll be okay," Klaus reassured his sister as he squeezed her hand. "Isadora is more than capable of taking care of herself. She's innovative as a poet, driven and can adapt to any situation. She's a lot like you, Violet."

"And she's with Duncan," Violet said as she smiled at her brother. "He's brilliant, level-headed and resourceful just like you are, Klaus."

"So they're versions of us," Klaus said as Violet nodded. "If we can get out of scraps, so can the Quagmires."

"Let's get back to work," Violet said as Sunny gave a tired yawn before blinking her eyes open. "Let's trade books. You can quiz me and I can quiz you."

"That's a good idea," Klaus said as he handed her his book. Violet took his book before handing hers as Sunny continued to work with her note cards.

"Who goes first?" Klaus asked.

"How about I ask you a question and then you do me?" Violet asked.

"Sounds good," Klaus said as Violet gave a giggle. "What?"

"Nothing," Violet replied though her grin remained. "Just wondering about something."

"Well, then out with it," Klaus said as Violet gave him a strange look.

"Why did you stumble so much when Isadora asked you how she looked? Shouldn't you have just told her that she was pretty?"

"I was nervous. I mean, I didn't notice it before nor did I think of it and I was just taken aback by her question." Klaus said as Violet narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why didn't you notice it before?" Violet asked as Klaus shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. Maybe it's the hair."

…..

As Prufrock Preparatory School came into view, Klaus pulled himself away from memories of the past as he, Jacquelyn and Bob drove towards the school compound. As Klaus looked out of the window, he could see a flyer fluttering about on the ground with the school's motto on it. _Memento Mori_ Klaus thought as the large gates of the academy opened and Bob drove them inside.

Klaus's eyes widened as large as saucers.

To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. While the exterior landscape of Prufrock Prep. School still remained as dreary and gloomy as it once was, the interior of the school, however, was at the other end of the spectrum. As soon as they entered, Klaus's eyes were assaulted by an assortment of colours. The walls of Prufrock Preparatory School, which were once grey and dull, had now been painted over. Each wall had a different painting, some of which were works by famous artists and painters while others looked to be original creations from a cat sailing through space to a scuba diving swimming in the deep.

All around the path up until the schools' front doors, Klaus could see students lying about in the grass, talking and chatting to each other while some took time to read, fly kites and even played a bit of catch. The uniforms were all creatively designed as two of the students welcomed Klaus, Jacquelyn, and Bob into the school. Walking through the school, Klaus held his breath as he wandered through the brightly-lit hallways and bulletin boards that showcased the different clubs and societies that were available in the schools' curriculum. In one of the classes, Klaus could see a teacher showcasing the effects of a volcanic eruption using a clay model and baking soda. In another, Klaus could hear someone playing out a Beethoven symphony.

"What's going on?!" Klaus exclaimed as Jacquelyn gave a light chuckle.

"Well, ever since Vice Principal Nero abruptly resigned from his position and with our side winning over parts of the schism, it was crucial for us to get back Prufrock under our guidance," Jacquelyn explained. "This was our alma mater for most of us and we intend for this boarding school to not only be a place of knowledge and learning but one that anyone who is lucky to come here can safely call it home."

"See the new motto for the school?" Bob said as he pointed to a sign hanging from the staff office.

"Vivamus, Moriendum Est." Klaus read as Bob knocked on the staff door. "Let us live, since we must die. Still sounds a little melancholic."

"Well, being reminded about death can seem to be a little negative but it's realistic. And hence the first part, let us live which tells us that since death is inevitable, we must make the best out of the life we have and strive for what we want. For us to be dreamers but also live in the real world and I can't think of a better way for a school to lean towards." Jacquelyn replied as she and Bob turned to face him. "Okay, Klaus, Bob and I will get things sorted here. Why don't you go ahead and explore the school for a bit?"

"Sure," Klaus replied as he took off down one of the school hallways.

…..

"And so we've reached the seventh question," Quentin spoke in a serious tone amidst the hushed whispers of the crowd. "For those of you who are aware as to how we play this game, this is it. If Klaus chooses to walk away now, he will have made a thousand dollars. If he chooses to play on, however, the rules of the game will kick in. Any wrong answer requires payment of the failed question in full while every right answer brings him closer to the final question. So, Klaus Baudelaire, I put it to you. Do you wish to proceed?"

 _Vivamus, Moriendum Est_ Klaus thought as he cleared his throat. The silence in the arena was palpable as a croak in his voice cut through the rising tension of the arena as Klaus could feel everyone waiting on his answer with bated breath.

"I wish to continue," Klaus said as loud cheers and wild chattering roared throughout the arena. A quick glance at Quentin revealed the relief that had dawned across his face as an expression of fierce pride grew on his countenance.

"Excellent!" Quentin exclaimed as thunderous applause broke throughout the arena. "Question seven. Here it is. In Norse mythology, what creature does Loki, the God of Mischief, transforms himself into when trying to escape the wrath of his fellow gods after Loki had tricked the blind god Hoor into murdering his brother. Is it..

Salmon

Wolf

Snake

Owl

Klaus was stunned. For the first time in the game show, Klaus Baudelaire was unsure of the answer. He was quite sure that he had picked the right answer in his mind but with the rising stakes, Klaus could not afford to be complacent. He had to be sure. His sisters' whereabouts were on the line and after six years, Klaus had gone too far to make a careless mistake now. There was only one option and he had to take it.

"I would like to use a lifeline."

"Which one?" Quentin asked.

"I would like to call a friend," Klaus said as Quentin nodded. Klaus knew who Quentin was going to call. Before the game show, Klaus had entered one number into the system for the lifeline. He had contemplated whether to call Jacquelyn but Jacquelyn was constantly busy at being the Duchess of Winnipeg as well as running a clandestine operation. Instead, Klaus picked another person, one whom he knew he had could rely on.

RING!

RING!

RING!

….

RING!

As the school bell rung, Klaus caught sight of a kindergarten class coming out of a classroom. All the pre-schoolers looked to be of Sunny's age as Klaus felt a pang of pain pierce through his heart. Sitting on a nearby bench, Klaus heaved a sigh, thinking just how much his sisters would love the school if they could only see it now. As Klaus sat on the bench, deep within his own thoughts, he did not notice someone who gasped upon the sight of him before taking a seat next to his lanky form. Only when he felt a tap on his shoulder, Klaus turned towards the person, gasping out in shock as his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"Hello there, cakesniffer."

 _This must be a dream_ Klaus thought as he stared at the person who had a look of bemusement on her face.

…

"Hello?"

"Hi! This is Quentin Travers from the game show Victory: Fortune or Debt. I'm calling because my contestant here, Klaus Baudelaire, is in need of your services in answering a question."

"Anything I can do to help." The voice said as Quentin motioned for Klaus to speak. Before he could say anything, however, the voice on the phone spoke first.

"Hello, Klaus. It's been a while."

"It certainly has," Klaus replied with a smile on his face.

…...

"But…how…" Klaus stammered as the girl seated next to him nodded along.

"Must be strange for you. Seeing a ghost from your past." the girl spoke as Klaus could only nod, still very much in shock.

"I thought you were dead!" Klaus said as he composed himself. Even as he wiped his glasses furiously and pinching himself, it was clear to Klaus that the girl that sat before him was not a figment of his imagination.

"I thought you were too. The fire at Hotel Denouement…"

"The three of us got out in time," Klaus answered as he reached his hand out. Blushing, the girl reached out hers as she laced her fingers with his, squeezing it as hard as she could. Upon the contact of her soft fingers, Klaus could only shake his head as a wide smile broke out on his face. It seemed appropriate that after so long, he would come face to face with the very same person he had met at the same place two years ago.

"It's good to see you again, Isadora." Klaus finally replied as Isadora Quagmire gave him a warm smile.

…..


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"How are you, Klaus?"

Such a simple question and yet Klaus Baudelaire was at loss for words. The sound of Isadora's voice had awoken a sleeping beast within him as Klaus felt that there was nothing more he would like to do than fall to his knees and cry. If anyone could understand him and would be able to empathise, it would be Isadora.

And yet…

The rational side of his brain kicked in as Klaus blinked his eyes multiple times, hoping to wipe away any tears from trickling down the side of his face. He had to remain focused. Violet and Sunny depended on him and Klaus couldn't afford any distractions.

And yet…

He could hear Quentin counting down the seconds as the entire arena was now silent and glued to his every move. Klaus allowed a bittersweet smile on his face to break out as he shifted about in his chair. Isadora repeated her question once more as a smile broke out on Klaus's face. Throughout the eight years of his life ever since the day Mr. Poe came to Briny Beach to inform the Baudelaires that their parents had perished in a fire, there were very few times since then that Klaus could say that he was actually happy. One of those times had been during his return to Prufrock Preparatory School. As Klaus savoured the voice of Isadora Quagmire, his mind raced back into the past where a place once devoid of any form of joy had become the scene for one of Klaus's happiest memories.

And yet…

…..

Klaus crept out of his dormitory, careful not to wake up any of his new classmates and roommates as he snuck into the hallway. Making a beeline for the library, Klaus reached for the door before tapping three times. He could hear movement inside the library as a faint glow appeared through translucent glass panels of the door. Pressing his ear to the wooden door, Klaus could hear a faint whispering coming from the other side.

"What's my favourite book by Charles Baudelaire?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Les Fleurs Du Mal"

"In English please."

"The Flowers of Evil."

Klaus heard the sound of a key jingling and a lock being sprung open before finding himself falling through the gap where the door had been. Collapsing on the floor before immediately picking himself up and dusting himself off, Klaus fixed his glasses before glaring at a giggling Isadora behind the door.

"Very funny," Klaus said as Isadora winked at him before dragging Klaus in between two large shelves of books. Klaus found himself being squashed between two shelves as he and Isadora sat on the floor using the shelves as back support. Though the library was shrouded in darkness, Isadora had brought along a flashlight which illuminated the place where they sat.

"You've gotten taller," Isadora exclaimed as Klaus noticed that her cheeks were sporting a faint blush.

"You're alive," Klaus exclaimed as Isadora nodded at his words. Upon seeing each other for the first time, Klaus had wanted nothing more than to talk to Isadora but a new study period had forced their first conversation to end abruptly.

"So how do we do this?" Isadora asked. "Who goes first?"

"You go first," Klaus said as Isadora cleared her throat. As Klaus listened intently to her story, he couldn't help but notice just how much Isadora had changed. It seemed strange to him that at one point in his life, Klaus had thought of a girl other than that of his sisters. From her soft lips to her silky brown hair, something inside of Klaus's stomach began to flutter.

"After we were reunited with Quigley, the three of us wanted Hector to keep flying in search of you three. But then we received an S.O.S call from a submarine called the Queequeg. A girl called Fiona mentioned you by name and so we came to its location. But before we could rendezvous with whoever was on board, our hot-air balloon was attacked by eagles and we collapsed on the top of the Queequeg. Before any of us knew it, we were being sucked into something that I later learnt was called The Great Unknown. All I can remember is us crashing onto the submarine and then, being in submerged in the sea. I must have blacked out because days later, I was found drifting on a piece of wood by a passing boat with Hector's hat in my hand. Jacquelyn visited me at the hospital where they took me and it's she who got me here."

"What about Fiona, Duncan, Quigley, and Hector?" Klaus asked as Isadora shook her head.

"No idea. The V.F.D has been searching for them for quite some time. They surmised that perhaps everyone is still alive but as to their whereabouts, no one has any idea." Isadora said as Klaus could see her eyes brimming with tears. Reaching out to squeeze her soft hand, Klaus gave Isadora a reassuring smile.

"Well, I'm sure they're fine. Duncan and Quigley are two of the most resourceful people I know." Klaus said as Isadora gave him a grateful smile. Wiping away her tears, Isadora nudged Klaus on his knee.

"What about you?" Isadora asked as Klaus heaved a sigh before telling Isadora everything that had happened to them after the escape from the village. From hostile hospitals to undersea grottos, burning hotels and being shipwrecked on an island, Isadora could only gape in astonishment as Klaus recounted his separation from his sisters and his mission to find them.

"Klaus," Isadora exclaimed as soon as he finished his story. "That's just…crazy! To think of everything you three had to endure, it's almost like someone decided to write the most unfortunate events to have ever occurred to a person and place you three as the protagonists."

"Tell me about it." Klaus sighed as he looked around the library. "And the story's not done, either."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I am grateful for Jacquelyn to put me here and give me a place to stay but I'm way past the whole going to school thing. I need to find my sisters. I need to find Violet." Klaus spoke as he stood to his feet. "I'm just going to be here for a week or so, maybe gather some food supplies and just be on my way."

"Klaus, wait," Isadora said as she stood up to grab his hand. "Let's think about this."

"I can't, Isadora." Klaus insisted as he pulled his hand away. "I can't be here in some safe and happy place while my sisters are out there. For all I know, they could be captured or locked out somewhere or…"

"Or they're trying to find you and you're not doing any favours by moving from place to place," Isadora said as she grabbed both his hands. "I might not know how it feels to be separated from your sisters but I'm probably the only who can understand better than anyone. Two years ago, I was in your position. I wanted nothing more than to search for my brothers but I knew that wandering from town to town, it's just a fool's errand. The V.F.D is much more capable of finding my brothers than I could ever be."

Klaus gave a snort of derision. "Really? Then how come in two years, the V.F.D haven't even found your brothers? Were they ever close?"

"No." Isadora sighed as she pulled away. Immediately, Klaus felt a large amount of regret as he reached for her.

"I'm sorry." Klaus sighed as he turned her to face him. "It's just that…it's frustrating. I've never been away for this long from my sisters and even then, at least I always had either Violet or Sunny with me. Now, I'm just alone."

"So was I, Klaus," Isadora replied with a smile on her face. "That is until you came along." Isadora gave a sigh before staring back at Klaus. "At least, stay here for a year. You can always check on the status of your sisters with Jacquelyn and at the same time, graduate with a certificate that can give you a better chance of getting the odd job should you insist on travelling the globe in search of your sisters."

"Okay," Klaus said after staring at Isadora for the longest time. "I'll give it a year."

"You'll get them back just like how I will get Duncan and Quigley back," Isadore said with a smile.

"Can't imagine how you dealt with all of this all this time," Klaus said as Isadora gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Well," Isadora said as she took a step closer towards him. Klaus could feel his stomach doing all sorts of twists and turns as his heart started to beat faster. "I just think that if Duncan or Quigley could see me now, they wouldn't want me to be unhappy. I don't even know if they're out there but if they are, I'm sure they would want me to be happy."

"Sunny could always look on the bright side of things." Klaus chuckled. "Ever since she was born, our parents always said that Sunny would often smile and laugh, even in the gloomiest of moments. Hence, her name."

"She always did have that spark in her." Isadora smiled as she ran her fingers through her hair. A few strands of her brown hair fell over her forehead as Klaus felt a lump in his throat. "And what about Violet? Would she want you to be happy?"

….

"Here, Sunny," Klaus said as Sunny tugged on his sleeves, begging to be let down. As Sunny wandered around the burnt remains of their living room, Klaus turned to his sister who looked to be searching for something underneath the dusty and grey rubble of their fireplace.

"Father used to put photographs of us on the mantle," Violet said as Klaus walked towards her. "I just want to see if they're still there."

"To think there was a secret passage underneath our house this whole time," Klaus said as he launched his foot against the hatch which covered the opening of the secret tunnel between their home and 667 Dark Avenue. Some of the dirt fell onto his grey suit with white stripes and yet, Klaus couldn't care anymore. The clothes he was wearing felt similar to what he was feeling as he looked around the remains of his home. _It's all just a façade_ __Klaus thought bitterly as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I know what you're thinking," Violet spoke as Klaus turned to face his sister. He could see it in her face as well, the confusion, the anger, the pain. What seemed like a series of unfortunate events were in fact, just a series of consequences that occurred on the day the Baudelaire mansion caught on fire.

"Do you think Esme could have…" Klaus began to speak as Violet raised a finger to his lips, indicating that he should stop.

"We can't think of that now, Klaus. We have to focus on getting Duncan and Isadora back."

"I agree but shouldn't we ask ourselves…"

"Ask ourselves what, Klaus?" Violet spoke, her tone half-resigned and half-exasperated. "What happened to our parents? Why do all these horrible things keep happening to us? And how much have we gotten so far, Klaus? Nothing but bits and pieces."

"Yes, but these pieces might lead us to…"

"A wild goose chase? A red herring? Take your pick, Klaus." Violet said as she grabbed his hands. "Maybe going down the past isn't what we should do. Our parents are gone but the Quagmires are not and honestly, at this point, all I can say is that I want us to save Duncan and Isadora. After we do that, we can all run away somewhere until I come of age and we can live peacefully somewhere."

"No guardians?" Klaus said as Violet raised her eyebrow.

"Has any of our guardians ever worked out? Our parents may be lost and so too were the Quagmires but we don't need parents to have a family. I say enough of Mr. Poe and his insistence at giving us to a guardian that would just let us down time and time again. I say let's just find the Quagmires and be happy."

Klaus could see the desperation and despair in his sister's eyes. She was right, of course. Though he would never admit it out loud, Klaus was tired from chasing ghosts. All the paths which led down that road only brought about pain and Klaus had had enough of the Baudelaires being stuck in some calamitous situation. Hoping to distract her away from the pain that surrounded them in ashes, Klaus nodded at his sister's suggestion.

"Besides, maybe it's possible that…" Klaus said before pausing to pick Sunny up. "..our parents couldn't have known about this."

"Could they?" Violet asked before a ticking clock and Sunny's comment reminded them of what's at stake. As the Baudelaire orphans walked out of their home and onto their garden path, Klaus turned to Violet.

"I just hope we can get there in time."

"We will, Klaus. In the meantime, I'm sure the Quagmires are alright. Duncan can take care of himself."

"And so too can Isadora," Klaus replied as Violet stopped in her tracks to smile at him,

"What?" Klaus asked as Violet shook her head.

"Nothing. It's just…"

"Out with it."

"I did notice a thing between you and Isadora," Violet said as Klaus's cheeks began to blush. "She's good for you, you know."

"Let's just go get them back," Klaus said as Violet nodded before walking beside him.

"Promise me something, Klaus," Violet said as they neared the end of their path.

"What?" Klaus asked as Violet turned to face him. She reached out for his glasses which had been slightly misplaced before adjusting it for him.

"That you'll give yourself a chance to be happy," Violet said before smiling at him.

….

"She would want me to be happy." Klaus sighed as Isadora beamed at him. As Klaus stared into Isadora's brown eyes and her soft lips, he could feel a strong force pushing him closer towards her face. Instead of looking surprised or even shocked, Isadora seemed to be moving closer as well, her lips mere inches away from Klaus. Klaus could feel his heart beating in his chest as he leaned closer, their noses brushing against each other as his lips made contact with hers.

As Klaus stood there kissing Isadora on the lips, he could feel her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed harder onto his. On instinct, Klaus wrapped his arms around her tiny waist as he kissed her harder, his need to feel any form of love or happiness overcoming any form of rational thought in his mind. As Klaus closed his eyes, he could feel the brush of the hairs on Isadora's forehead ticking his eyebrows, her hairstyle of bangs quite similar to…

 _Violet_

In his head, Klaus could picture his sister screaming his name as she threw him the lifeline while he struggled to keep himself afloat in the storm. All he could hear was Violet screaming his name as what was left of the _Beatrice_ sailed further and further out of sight. His heart was no longer pounding but instead, it was plummeting as a wave of guilt made its way throughout his body. No longer feeling the wanton need to embrace Isadora, Klaus pulled away gently. He could see Isadora staring curiously at her with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

"Klaus?"

The mention of his name snapped Klaus's mind back to his situation. He could sense that Isadora wanted this, whatever one might call their relationship to be, with him and yet Klaus couldn't bring himself to be content with the moment. Something was missing, Klaus thought as Isadora smiled hopefully at him. Unable to bear the thought that he might hurt Isadora's feelings by rejecting her, Klaus opted for a moment to rationalise the situation. Whatever he felt with Isadora was foreign to him, though Klaus had to admit, with a tinge of embarrassment, that he was all for kissing her again. Recalling the words of his sister, Klaus took a deep breath before putting on a mask of bittersweet happiness on his face before answering Isadora with the most clichéd response that anyone could give in moments when they weren't sure of what to say.

….

"I'm fine," Klaus replied as Quentin tapped on his watch. Realising the urgency of their situation, Klaus's mind snapped back on point.

"Isadora," Klaus spoke as he stared at the question. "I'm assuming you're watching the show."

"But of course," Isadora replied. "It's not every day you get to see Klaus Baudelaire live on television. I really like your hair."

"Thanks," Klaus said as he heard a giggle coming from an audience member behind him. "So, what do you think is the answer?"

"You already know this, Klaus," Isadora replied. "You had it in you the whole time."

A smile broke out on Klaus's face as he let out a laugh. "Subtle."

Isadora gave a laugh as Quentin did a cut-throat expression with his hands, indicating that his time was up.

"I have to go now, Isadora," Klaus said, his disappointment evident.

"I know you do. I hope you find them, Klaus. I hope you find her." Isadora answered before pausing. "Goodbye, Klaus Baudelaire."

"Goodbye, Isadora Quagmire." Klaus sighed as the line went dead. A few seconds of silence passed before Quentin cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, Klaus."

"It's okay. She's going to be okay."

"No, it's not that," Quentin said as Klaus turned his attention to the host. "It's just that she never gave you an answer."

"Actually, she did," Klaus replied with a smile. "She always did."

….

As Klaus sat on the roof of Prufrock Preparatory School with his graduation certificate in his hand, he could only heave a sigh as he stared up at the twinkling stars that shone across the darkness that blanketed the sky. It had been a year since he first attended Prufrock once more and though he was a year younger than Isadora, Jacquelyn had placed him in her class as he graduated with flying colours. The past year had seemed to breeze by in a second as Klaus recounted each day, talking to Jacquelyn as to the status of his missing sisters. Though each day brought about the same amount of disappointment and gloom, it had been papered over with the presence of Isadora.

Klaus turned his head to see Isadora lying down on the mat next to him, her yellow valedictorian sash still fixed around her chest. Their relationship had been quite the change in his life as Klaus found himself looking forward to spending each day with her, sometimes even skipping classes just to see her on her free periods. He had improved in his kissing according to Isadora although Klaus did point out that he had only kissed two girls, a revelation of his moment with Fiona being a sore spot for their relationship. And yet as Klaus held her hand as he stared up at the night sky, he couldn't help but feel that he was at long last, happy where he was.

"Why do you like coming here?" Isadora asked as she turned to face him.

"I don't know," Klaus replied as he turned to face her. "The world is quiet here. And lying down underneath the stars just makes me feel happy thinking that perhaps somewhere across the world, Violet and Sunny are looking at the exact same thing at the exact same time."

"You do know that the chances of that being true are…" Isadora spoke before noticing Klaus's face and changing her thought. "…quite the possibility."

"Nice." Klaus laughed as Isadora let out a giggle. "So what are you going to do, tomorrow?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. Maybe I'll go to the Village of Fowl Devotees."

Klaus made a face. "Why would you want to go there?"

"I want to place Hector's hat back at his old place." Isadora sighed. "I know, I know. It sounds silly but when we were flying with Hector, he always mentioned how he wished he left his hat back at his place. It was his father's you see, and like Hector would want it as some kind of tribute to his old man."

Klaus moved closer to Isadora as he gently dragged the hairs down her forehead. "Doesn't sound that silly to me," Klaus said as he leaned in for a kiss. As he kissed Isadora, Klaus could feel something prickling at the back of his head, an uneasy feeling that something unfortunate was about to happen.

"Wow!" Isadora exclaimed as they pulled away. "Don't think you ever kissed me like that before."

Klaus smiled at Isadora. "We can go together tomorrow. I may not like the Village but it's a good place for me to start. Violet and Sunny might have passed through there."

Isadora gave Klaus a strange look before sitting herself upright. "What do you mean a good place to start?"

"I mean.," Klaus spoke as he sat upright as well. "It would be a good place for me to start my search."

"Wait, you're not still thinking about leaving, are you?" Isadora cried as Klaus gave her a confused stare.

"Of course I am," Klaus said as Isadora got up to her feet. "It's what we agreed to, remember? A year ago at the library?"

"I didn't agree to anything." Isadora sighed as she paced about in front of him. "I should have seen this coming…" Isadora muttered to herself.

"Wait, back up for a moment," Klaus said as he got up to his feet. "You can't possibly want to stay at Prufrock anymore? You're graduated like me."

"Yes, but the principal has offered me lodging for another year," Isadora replied. "I'm not going to stay here all my life but I'm certainly not going to go about gallivanting down the countryside screaming for my brothers at the top of my lungs."

"So what?" Klaus exclaimed as he felt the heat rising in his body. "You're just going to give up?"

For the first time in his life, Klaus saw a look on anger on Isadora's face as she glared at him. "I'm never going to give up on my brothers, Klaus Baudelaire but unlike you, I'm being rational about this rather than giving in to my emotions. It's been three years since I last saw or heard anything about them. What do you think crosses my mind each day when Jacquelyn tells me she hasn't had news about them? What does any sane, rational person think when the most extensive search conducted by the largest secret organisation in the world who uses vast resources to search for my brothers yield failed attempts daily?"

"No, no!" Klaus yelled as he grabbed Isadora by the shoulders. "You can't think like that! You can't lose hope."

Yet as Klaus held Isadora, he could finally see what was behind the mask that Isadora had placed on her face each day. He could see her, a strong and driven woman, staring back at him with fragile eyes as a resigned look came across her face. He could feel her trembling as Klaus pulled her into a hug, squeezing her for all he's worth as Isadora broke down in tears, her graduation sash damp with her sobs.

"Klaus," Isadora whispered after her composing herself. Klaus could feel her pulling away as she stared at him, her brown eyes glistening with tears. "I think you have to go."

"I can't do this without you," Klaus replied, not wanting to let Isadora go.

"You have to," Isadora said as she fixed a bittersweet smile on her face. "You need to go find her. You need her, Klaus, more than you'll ever need me."

Klaus could only gape as Isadora pulled herself away from his embrace before turning herself away from him. He could see her shoulders falling to their sides as Isadora turned to face him.

"Violet is important to me, Isadora, but that doesn't mean…" Klaus began to speak as Isadora shook her head. Klaus watched as Isadora placed her hand on her hair before letting her front strands drop over her forehead.

"Did you ever wonder why you had to do this every time you kissed me?" Isadora said as Klaus stared at her. "Or why every time we kiss, it feels like I'm kissing an empty shell with nothing inside? It's because of her, Klaus. It's always her."

"Who?" Klaus replied awkwardly. "Fiona?"

Isadora gave a mirthless laugh at Klaus's poor attempt at humour. "Fiona, myself, Beatrice, even Sunny. We're all important to you in different ways and some more than the other but there will always be one girl who you care about more than any of us."

"Violet's just my sister," Klaus said as Isadora shook her head.

"She's more than just a sister, Klaus, and we both know that. Duncan, Quigley and I might be triplets but even we don't come close to the connection you have with Violet. You care about your sister an inordinate amount and now that she's not here, you're just empty. You need her, Klaus, in ways that I can't even imagine. So even though I might be against it and even though it may be completely irrational, I think you should leave Prufrock and go find her. Follow your heart, Klaus Baudelaire."

"What about you?" Klaus asked as Isadora walked to the side of the roof where the ladder stood.

"I'm going to stay here for another year, probably help out around the school. By then, I'll be eighteen and in control of my family fortune where I will use every financial resource available to find my brothers and your sisters, if you haven't found them by then."

"But what if I choose to stay? Could we be together?" Klaus asked as Isadora reached for the ladder before turning around to give him a smile.

"Perhaps. But only if you choose to stay." Isadora replied as she stared back at him. "So what will it be, Klaus? What's your choice?"

…..

"So what will it be, Klaus?" Quentin asked as he motioned to the screen. "What's your choice?"

"My answer is A. Salmon," Klaus replied as he smirked at the thought. Isadora's use of the word "in" might seem like a random preposition but to Klaus, it was a reference to Esme Squalor's favourite word which brought back the memory of Klaus, Violet, and Sunny being forced to dine at Salmonella. "Final answer."

"Correct!" Quentin cried as the audience applauded once more though Klaus could hear many of the audience members chatting to each other, a sign that Klaus had now passed his first test in a series of questions that would determine his faith.

"I suppose that it's probably time for us to go to a commercial break," Quentin spoke as loud groans and protests rang throughout the audience. Klaus felt himself smiling as he tried to imagine the audience's response. Klaus himself didn't want to stop, his achievement at surviving the seventh question only added momentum to his cause.

"What say you, Klaus?" Quentin said after he failed to pacify the audience.

"I think we should do one more at least," Klaus replied as Quentin gave him a smile.

"Very well! Let us proceed to the eighth question." Quentin cried to a chorus of cheers. Klaus looked patiently to his screen which was blank as he awaited the eighth question. However, instead of a question appearing, Quentin spoke up again.

"Now, Klaus, before I reveal the next question, there is something I need to ask you," Quentin said as Klaus turned to him. "You see, even though this is a game show, I always make it a point for us to get to know the contestant who in this case, is you. So tell me, Klaus Baudelaire, tell me something about yourself."

"I wouldn't know where to start," Klaus replied as Quentin shook his head.

"That's not good enough. Come on, give us something. What about you and Isadora? What's that about?"

Klaus averted his gaze as he looked at the screen. A look on Quentin's face told him that Quentin wasn't going to let him off easily. Sighing, Klaus spoke reluctantly.

"You could say that she and I used to go out. We went out for about a year."

"Interesting! Finally!" Quentin exclaimed in delight as Klaus heard the audience chatting excitedly throughout the arena. "So Klaus, it seems there's more to you than meets the eye. So tell us about Isadora? What kind of a person was she?"

"Incredible," Klaus said as his thoughts went back to Isadora during that year at Prufrock Preparatory. "She's smart, driven and has an amazing sense of humour. She's patient and kind and she never gives up on you, even when you give up yourself. Not to mention, Isadora is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen in my life."

"She sounds amazing, Klaus," Quentin said before giving him a cheeky grin. "And from the way you're speaking about her, it seems that you still might have a thing for her."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Klaus replied as Quentin gave a frown before sighing.

"Well, I think I speak for myself and for your supporters when I say I hope you both can find a way to resolve things. A girl like that only comes in your life once in a blue moon. Don't let her get away."

As Klaus absorbed Quentin's words, his mind shifted back again to that fateful night four years ago.

…..

"What should I do?" Klaus sighed as he laid down on the mat, his eyes staring up into the night sky. Throughout the entire year, Klaus had eagerly looked forward to the day he had to graduate. He had imagined himself driving around from town to town with Isadora as they looked for their missing siblings. It made no sense for him to stay in Prufrock. The V.F.D had proven themselves useless in finding his sisters and the longer he waited, the longer his sisters would remain missing.

"Argghhh!" Klaus yelled as he stood to his feet as he thought about what Isadora had said to him.

" _Violet's just my sister," Klaus said as Isadora shook her head._

" _She's more than just a sister, Klaus, and we both know that."_

"She's right, you know."

The sound of a familiar voice caused Klaus to jump a foot in the air as he turned around, startled at the voice. Klaus's eyes widened as he turned behind to see a figure standing no more than a few feet away from the mat, her long brown hair with bangs and radiant blue eyes staring back at Klaus.

"Violet? Is that you?" Klaus asked as Violet smiled at him before shaking her head.

"No, I'm not here. And neither are you." Violet said as she pointed to a figure on the mat whom Klaus had not noticed before. A closer look revealed that the figure was himself, sound asleep as a plate of bread with blue cheese laid beside him.

"What's happening?" Klaus asked as Violet gave a giggle before pointing to the plate of cheese.

"Blue cheese had an effect on the mind, Klaus. It's said to be able to make you hallucinate with extraordinary vivid dreams like the one we're in now."

"I'm dreaming," Klaus replied, sounding disappointed as Violet gave him a bittersweet smile.

"I'm afraid you are, Klaus," Violet replied as she took his hand before giving him an encouraging smile. "It doesn't mean that this isn't real, Klaus. You were troubled before you slept. What happened between you and Isadora?"

"If you're in my mind, don't you already know?" Klaus asked as Violet led him to the edge of the roof.

"Humour me," Violet said as Klaus recalled everything that he and Isadora had discussed. Klaus watched as Violet listened intently to his every word.

"So, what are you going to do?" Violet asked as Klaus threw his hands into the air.

"I have no idea." Klaus sighed. "On one hand, I want nothing more than to go out and look for you and Sunny but on the other hand, I don't want to lose Isadora."

"So don't lose her. Stay here with her and wait for us to come to you."

"I can't take that risk, Violet. What if something happened to you and Sunny and neither of you can come to me?"

"We've always managed to figure a way out of our predicaments before, Klaus," Violet spoke gently as Klaus shook his head.

"Not without each other." Klaus sighed. "No disrespect to Sunny but it's always been you and me taking charge of the situation together. What if you need information about something? How can I help if I'm not there?"

"We'll manage." Violet sighed. "You can't just leave Isadora, Klaus."

"I don't want to," Klaus replied. "But I have no choice."

"Why? Of course, you have a choice."

"No, I don't," Klaus said as he walked away. "I have to find you."

"Why, Klaus?"

"You know why."

"No, I don't!" Violet replied, her rising tone forcing Klaus to look back at her. "Klaus Baudelaire, don't you dare lie to me. Why are you abandoning Isadora when you care about her? Why do you insist on doing something foolish like travelling from town to town when it makes more sense to just stay put and use V.F.D resources? Why do all of this?!"

"Because if I don't, I might never do it!" Klaus roared, as Violet looked slightly taken aback from his tone. "Look at Isadora! She's losing hope in finding her brothers and I don't ever want to be like that! To relegate you like it's just some lost cause!"

Klaus could feel tears streaming down his face as he looked back at Violet with anger. "For the first time since we separated, I'm actually happy, Violet. I am. I'm with Isadora now and if I stay, that might be all that matters to me. I might give up looking for you!"

"So?" Violet cried as she took a step towards him. "Would that really be so bad? You've suffered just as much as anyone else and if the tables were turned, would you want me to give up my happiness to go find you? Klaus, you promised me you'll be happy. Why don't you keep your promise?"

"I can't." Klaus sighed.

"Yes, you can!" Violet insisted. "You can't let Isadora go. Don't let her get away."

"You don't understand…"

"Yes, I do! Stay with her but keep a lookout for us, that's all I asked…"

"I can't do that…"

"Yes, you can, Klaus!" Violet screamed as Klaus could see her pleading with tears down her face. "I meant what I said back at our former home. Stay with Isadora. Be happy. And if it means having to let us go, then let us go."

"You can't expect me to do that."

"Why are you being so stubborn, Klaus?!" Violet sighed. "You know very well that if I could actually be here –"

"BUT YOU'RE NOT HERE, ARE YOU?!" Klaus yelled at the top of his voice as Violet flinched under his tone. "You're not here! You're nothing but a figment of my goddamn imagination and I can't do anything until I find you! Don't you get that, Violet? I'm nothing without you."

With that final outburst, Klaus collapsed to his knees as he fell sobbing on the ground. He could feel a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him. Though he knew her touch wasn't real, Klaus felt himself being drawn to the warm embrace of his sister.

"She was right." Klaus croaked as Violet cupped his face with her hands. "I'm empty without you."

"I just wanted you to be happy, Klaus," Violet whispered as Klaus could see tears trickling down her cheeks as well. "I just want you to be happy."

"How can I be happy without you, Violet?" Klaus whispered as Violet crushed him in a tight hug. As he held his imaginary sister in his arms as tightly as he could, Klaus knew what he had to do.

…

"Ready to move on?" Quentin asked as Klaus was brought back to reality. Nodding his head, Quentin read out the eighth question.

"Dues ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is abruptly resolved by an unexpected occurrence. Out of the great ancient Greek tragedians, which of the four is widely regarded as the most notable user of the term? Is it…

Aeschylus

Euripides

Sophocles

Homer

"Take your time, Klaus," Quentin said as the arena grew silent with anticipation. Klaus could see that Quentin was concerned about his ability to answer the question and Klaus himself had to admit, he wasn't particularly well versed in ancient Greek tragedy. Yet as he stared at the four answers, Klaus turn his attention to the term _dues ex machina_. He knew the English translation meant ' god from the machine'. Somewhere along Klaus's mind, he could hear the sound of gears turning as an engine roared to life.

….

Klaus rested his head on the leather seats as he admired every inch of the machine. From the brakes and clutch to the radio as well as the smooth and wide interior of the car, Klaus could see himself living inside the machine for days to come. The smooth transition of the gear shift impressed him as well as the low mileage of the car which was surprising considering that it had been passed down from two previous owners.

"Courtesy of my family," Bob said as he tapped on the window. "Since my uncle passed, this thing has been seating on my driveway collecting dust so I thought, why not put it to some good use? I left a tank of petrol in the car should you need to refuel and I've gone through everything. You sure you're ready to drive?"

"I'm confident," Klaus said, thinking back to his driving lessons at the school and how he had been awarded an A in driving. "Thanks, Bob! But… I don't have a license."

Bob gave a chuckle as he handed something over to Klaus. "Jacquelyn and I took the liberty of getting you one from the Vehicular Forms Department."

"Nice," Klaus said as he got out from the car. Klaus smirked at his new name, Herman Melville being printed in clear, bold letters. "Thank you so much, Bob," Klaus replied as he gave Bob a hug.

"Awww," Bob said as he happily embraced Klaus. "Just make sure you take care of yourself, kid."

"I'll get the car back to you," Klaus replied as Bob shook his head.

"It's yours. Just make sure you take good care of it, and yourself!" Bob said as Klaus nodded gratefully at him. He could see Jacquelyn approaching the pair as Bob excused himself to the side.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" Jacquelyn said with a concerned expression on her face. "You could stay here with Isadora for as long as you want. You'll be safe here."

"I can't stay," Klaus replied as Jacquelyn reluctantly nodded her head. "Violet and Sunny are out there and while I appreciate everything you and the V.F.D have done, I have to look for them."

"I understand." Jacquelyn sighed before giving Klaus a smile. "I have something for you."

"What is it?" Klaus said as Jacquelyn handed him a photograph. On it was a picture of Beatrice smiling at the camera. Klaus felt a tugging at his heart as he beamed with pride at the photograph.

"Thought you could use a little pick-me-up," Jacquelyn said as Klaus placed the photograph of Beatrice next to the photograph of Violet and Sunny that he kept on the dashboard of the car. "A little incentive to motivate you."

"I have no words…" Klaus said as he turned to Jacquelyn who handed him two more items. The first was a spyglass which Klaus recognised as the one all V.F.D members had. "That will help identify you as a V.F.D member should you come across any of us on your journey. And that…" Jacquelyn said as she pointed at the envelope. "Is just something you might need along your way."

Klaus opened the envelope to see a large wad of cash being stashed inside. He stared back at Jacquelyn, his head shaking.

"This is too much…" Klaus began to speak only for Jacquelyn to put a finger on his lips. "No, it's not," Jacquelyn whispered as she placed the envelope and spyglass into his coat. "It's the least I can do. I hope you find them soon, Klaus." And with that Jacquelyn gave him a kiss on the forehead before stepping aside for the final person to see Klaus off.

Isadora made her way slowly towards Klaus. She had a despondent look on her face though she was not crying, her eyes were still a little red. Nevertheless, as she approached Klaus, he could see her giving him a smile, similar to the one she gave him back when she and Duncan agreed to distract Count Olaf so that Klaus and his sisters could study.

"So…" Isadora spoke first with a strange smile on her face. "Jacquelyn, Fiona and myself. Getting quite the reputation as a ladies man, aren't you?"

Klaus could only laugh lightly at Isadora's attempt at humour before noticing something in her hand. "What's that?"

"It's Hector's hat," Isadora said as she handed him over a straw hat. "I figured that maybe you wouldn't mind just dropping this over at his old place. You don't have to, of course…"

"I love to," Klaus said as he gave a smile before taking the hat and placing it in his car. Turning around, he could see that Isadora had taken another step towards him, their faces now inches apart. Klaus studied her face as he tried to memorise every detail of Isadora Quagmire. Though he knew that there was every possibility he was going to see her again, Klaus couldn't help but feel the same way he did back at the library all those years ago with Duncan, Isadora, Violet, and Sunny. Noticing something about her face, Klaus smiled as he brushed away the strands that had fallen down on her forehead. He tucked them back on the side as Isadora smiled back at him.

"Just promise me you'll be okay," Isadora whispered as Klaus nodded his head. Before he could say anything, Isadora threw her hands around his neck and pressed her lips onto his. Klaus hugged her as tightly as he could, not wanting to let her go. After what seemed like forever, Isadora pulled herself and turned away from him as Klaus touched his lips which he could still feel the lingering pressure of her lips.

"Isadora," Klaus whispered as she turned back to face him. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for, Klaus." Isadora sighed. "Like I told you, follow your heart. It rarely leads you astray."

With that, Isadora walked towards the gates of Prufrock Preparatory School where Jacquelyn and Bob stood. Klaus heaved a sigh before entering his car and turning the key.

Klaus felt the car shudder as the engine roared to life. As Klaus waved goodbye to the three important figures in his life, he turned the car around, facing it towards the road ahead where the sun had been steadily rising.

"Klaus, are you sure you want to do this?"

Klaus looked next to him to see Violet staring back at him with a sad look in her eyes.

"Guess I didn't fully digest that cheese," Klaus said as Violet gave him a bittersweet smile before pointing to his windscreen mirror where he could see Isadora staring at the back of his car. With a sigh, Klaus pressed his foot on the gas pedal as the car took off onto the path away from Prufrock Preparatory School.

"Kind of feels like this is a _deus ex machina_ of some sort," Violet said as she tapped on the dashboard.

"You know, that term was most notably used by Euripides in his play," Klaus said as Violet made a face. "Although it was said that Aeschylus was the first to use it in his play called…"

"Klaus, really?" Violet replied as Klaus gave a mirthless laugh before nodding. Turning his eyes to the car's side mirror, Klaus could see the image of the school getting smaller in the distance.

"You know, it doesn't have to be," Violet said as she scooted herself towards him before leaning her head on his shoulder. "Things could work out."

"Yeah, once I find you and Sunny, I could return back to Isadora," Klaus replied.

"Not to mention, you might find Duncan and Quigley along the way," Violet said as Klaus gave her a smile.

"Yeah, and we could all be reunited together with Beatrice and Jacquelyn and Bob!" Klaus cried excitedly as Violet gave a laugh.

"Yeah, and just imagine all of us living in some fancy house. We could get Sunny into a good school where she would grow up and make friends."

"We could raise Beatrice and put her in a good school as well!"

"Not to mention, that you and Isadora can finally be together for good," Violet said as she playfully nudged him.

"Yeah, I can just imagine us. Spending our days talking and reading in the library. Going out for walks on Briny Beach. Exploring the world together."

"And one day, getting married and having a family of your own," Violet added with a smile on her face. "Wouldn't that be amazing, Klaus? You could be married to Isadora, we would have our fortunes to help us in raising Sunny and Beatrice and I would most likely be with…"

The abrupt roar of the engine drowned his sister's voice as Klaus stared at his side mirror once more. Prufrock Preparatory School was but a tiny dot out there in the distance and with its disappearance, so too were Klaus's hopes at ever seeing Isadora Quagmire ever again. Turning to face his sister and hoping to be comforted by her apparition, Klaus could only see an empty seat next to him.

"Violet?" Klaus whispered only to be met with the deafening sound of silence in the car. Klaus could feel his stomach grumbling once more as he turned to the empty road ahead of him. It had suddenly dawned on him. He was now all alone.

As Klaus drove through the Hinterlands with only the roar of his machine being the only sound in an otherwise barren and silent world, Klaus could not help but fantasize about a better life with his sisters and the Quagmires. Yet despite the happy images that were going through his mind, Klaus knew far better than to give in to fantasy. After all,

 _That's not how the story goes._

… _.._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Good god, Klaus, how on earth did you know the answer was Euripides?" Quentin asked as they entered his dressing room. The game show had been paused momentarily for a commercial break, an intermission which would last about fifteen minutes. Quentin motioned for Klaus to sit on a chair next to him.

"I've read his plays since I turned eleven," Klaus replied as he thought back to his younger days, before the fire. Those memories now seemed so foreign to him, as if he lived two lifetimes, one filled with happiness and the other filled with woe. "I've always liked Euripides. His work often showed sympathy to the underrepresented people of society."

"Kind of like what you're doing for the Scabs," Quentin replied with a smirk as he offered Klaus a drink, a gesture that Klaus gratefully accepted. "You know, I'm beginning to think I was right backing you all this time. You're more than just a smart cookie, aren't you? A prodigy, I daresay."

"My sister's the genius, not me," Klaus replied as Quentin shook his head.

"Perhaps she is but so are you. Which makes me wonder…?" Quentin said as he brought his seat closer to Klaus. "If you're really capable of murder, thievery and a whole assortment of crimes that currently have not been reviewed as of late."

"Excuse me?!" Klaus cried in surprise as Quentin chuckled.

"Surely you don't think I would put you in my game show without doing a background check on you? Come on, Klaus. Give me some credit."

"I…I don't know…what to say…" Klaus replied, his voice trembling as Quentin gave a laugh before shaking his head.

"Never thought I'll see you at a loss for words," Quentin replied as he smiled at Klaus. "I'm a pretty good judge of character and even then, I doubt that someone who wanted his identity and the past kept secret would have exposed himself to the entire world just before we started. But I can surmise a guess as to what your motives are."

"My motives?"

"Klaus," Quentin replied, no longer smiling as he stared at him. "The reason you're so calm about the game show is because, your intention is not to win it. You just want to find your sister. The Favour is sort of a last-ditch attempt on your part if your initial plan doesn't work. The reason you exposed who you are is that you're hoping beyond hope that either your sisters are watching or someone who knows where they are would be. You really don't expect it to make it to the Final Question, do you?"

"Actually," Klaus sighed as he stared back at Quentin. "I do. You see, you were right in guessing my initial plan as to what I intended to do. I'm hoping beyond hope that Violet or Sunny sees me on television and they have an idea as to where I am so that they can find me. But in the weeks prior to this, I've had a change of heart."

"Really?" Quentin said as he gave Klaus a bemused stare.

"Yes," Klaus replied as he smiled at Quentin. " Firstly, I made a promise to you that I would do whatever it takes to get to the final question so there's that. Secondly, it has to do with the Favour, Quentin. According to the laws of the game show as established by the previous Mayors, the Favour is more of an order that has to be granted according to the rules of the game."

" And in accordance to the Mayor's powers," Quentin added. "You can't ask for something unreasonable like turning night into day, of course."

"Of course," Klaus replied as he smiled at Quentin. "Naturally, if I win the game show which I fully intend to do, it would seem that the Favour I would ask of the Mayor is to use his technological devices and influence to find my sisters."

"An easy feat for a Mayor," Quentin replied.

"Precisely. Except that…"Klaus whispered before darting his eyes around the room. "That isn't what I intend to do. What I intend to do is…." Klaus whispered the next part into Quentin's ears whose eyes widened upon hearing it.

"My god, are you really?" Quentin replied as Klaus nodded. Quentin stood to his feet as he paced around the room, the look on his face was one of amazement and excitement.

"I mean…," Quentin spoke as Klaus watched him paced about. "I mean…if you could actually pull this off, it would be huge! And I daresay the Mayor has no choice but to grant it. But Klaus, I got to know. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"It was never sudden," Klaus spoke as he averted his gaze. "It was always there. I was just too blinded by my sisters to see it and yet…even after all these years, I guess I was always going to be the man that my parents wanted me to be."

"And that is?" Quentin asked as Klaus turned his mind back to the past, back to a time when he visited the Village of Fowl Devotees for a second and final time.

"A volunteer."

…..

The walk to the police station took a long time but one that was necessary. Rule 67 of the Village stated that the use of mechanical devices was prohibited and Klaus knew better than to drive a car into the Village without any official reason as to why he would be there using one. He had hidden his car inside the barn where Hector first hid his self-sustaining hot air mobile home. It seemed that even after all these time, Hector's home had been abandoned. As thoughts of Hector and his device brought back memories of Isadora, Klaus pushed those thoughts at the back of his head. He had already placed Hector's hat back in his home and though Klaus wanted nothing more than to drive away from the vile place, his need to find about his sisters' whereabouts drew him towards the police station. He had already searched Hector's home for clues or signs of anyone living there but after an hour of looking, Klaus was drawn to a blank. Surely a quick visit to the police station wouldn't hurt.

It is often said that there are a few choices we make in our lives that would forever alter or change the course of our lives. Years later, while in Viceroy City, Klaus would often look back to this day several times and wondered what would have happened if he had just driven off. Would he have found his sisters sooner? Would he never have made it to Viceroy City? It seemed like such a small decision at that time, one that couldn't possibly have an impact and yet as Klaus entered the police station, the same one from which he and his sisters had broken out from, that he had no idea just how much his life was about to change.

Being such a small police station in an otherwise tiny and dreary village, Klaus could quickly spot two individuals being locked up inside the same cell where he had celebrated his thirteenth birthday. He could see the spot where Violet had broken them out which had now been covered up. Not wanting to waste any more time, Klaus walked up to the sheriff's office where he knocked three times.

"Enter." A gruff voice replied as Klaus pushed the door open. There, in the centre of the room which looked almost bare, was a short, pudgy man in a police chief's outfit eating a piece of bread as he looked surprised to see Klaus standing there.

"And who might you be?" the man said as Klaus entered the room.

"Detective Herman Melville," Klaus replied as he waved a fake badge at him, one he had tirelessly prepared in Hector's home using a piece of paper, pens, and a laminating machine. The pudgy police chief appeared completely nonplussed before standing up awkwardly to shake his hand. Klaus noted that the police chief tried to tiptoe, no doubt hoping to shorten the considerable height difference between the pair.

"I'm Police Chief Pepper." the man spoke as he eyed Klaus carefully. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Detective Herman?"

"I'm here with regards to two orphans," Klaus replied as Pepper's eyes began to widen.

"You're here for the orphans? I'm sorry but they're under my custody and have already been sentenced."

"They have?!" Klaus replied, shocked before realising to whom Pepper might have been referring to. "You mean the convicts in the cells?"

"Yes!" Pepper replied enthusiastically. "They have been charged with the most heinous crime of all."

"Which is?"

"They murdered a crow and ate it!" Pepper whispered as he shuddered at the thought. Klaus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As a victim of kidnapping and a witness to murder, the thought of someone killing a crow to eat seemed more of a decision of necessity than a crime of passion. Nevertheless, Klaus composed himself.

"I'm not here about those orphans," Klaus said as Pepper gave him a puzzled expression. "I'm looking for two orphans, one is a girl a year older than me and the other is a younger girl, around the ages of four to six. I was wondering if you or anyone in this village might have come across such a pair."

"Well, Detective," Pepper said as he reached from under his desk. "To be honest, I've only been appointed as police chief for a month. I would need to consult our records to see if there have been any such persons coming to the town. May I please have their names?"

"I can give you aliases but not their actual names as the pair would probably have changed it over time," Klaus said as he proceeded to give a list of names that Violet or Sunny might have used, including a detailed description of his sisters.

"Alright, give me time," Pepper said as he lifted a large loaf of bread as well as a metal pitcher of water on the table. "I'm wondering if you could perhaps assist me with something."

"What would that be?"

"Help me send this to our prisoners. I was supposed to give it to them as part of their last meal." Pepper replied as Klaus raised his eyebrow.

"Last meal?"

"Oh yes," Pepper said as he handed the items to Klaus. "It's our law here in the village. Any killings of the crows result in being burned alive at the stake."

"Seriously?" Klaus replied incredulously as Pepper ushered him out from the room.

"Oh yes," Pepper said as he gave Klaus a strange look. "I must say, you seem to be a little too young to be a detective."

"You get promoted faster when you're competent at the job," Klaus replied grimly as he made his way down to the cell.

….

As Klaus placed the hard loaf of bread and the pitcher of water through the opening of the cell, he could see that both the individuals inside the cell were watching him cautiously. Klaus noted that the boy appeared to be the older of the two, his long, blonde hair combed neatly along the side of his face and was as tall and lanky as Klaus himself. The girl next to him had a blonde ponytail and looked extremely thin wearing similar, raggedy clothes as the boy. Both were fair-skinned and had hazel eyes as the boy opened his mouth to speak.

"Who are you?" the boy said as the girl sat on the bench in the cell, watching Klaus curiously.

"I'm Detective Herman Melville," Klaus replied as he pointed to the items. "I was told to give you these."

"You're not from around here, are you?" the girl asked as Klaus shook his head.

"You look to be a little too young to be a detective." the boy replied in a suspicious tone. "Who are you really?"

"You know, people usually introduce themselves when someone does the same," Klaus replied. "It's only courtesy." The boy scoffed at Klaus's question.

"My name is Mark Twain and this is my friend, Jane Austen."

"Really? You expect me to believe that?" Klaus replied incredulously as the girl shrugged her shoulders.

"Believe what you want, _Herman Melville_ ," Jane replied putting emphasis on Klaus's fake name. "It's not like anything is going to change. We'll be dead tomorrow, anyways."

"For murdering a crow," Klaus replied. "Surely you know better than to do that inside a village called the Village of Fowl Devotees."

"We didn't know about that stupid law or the name of this village!" Mark spoke in anger. "My friend and I were starving by the time we came across this godforsaken village and when we begged the Council of Elders to let us stay here and give us food and shelter in return for us doing chores, they turned us away. So we hid in an abandoned bar in this dry county where we found drinks but no food. We killed a crow to cook and eat it but we were discovered and before we knew it, we were transported here and are now being sentenced to the death penalty!"

"How on earth did you happen to come so far into the Hinterlands?" Klaus asked as Jane replied.

"I and Mark here come from two rich families far away from this country. Both our parents were killed making us orphans. We've been traded about from guardian to guardian, place to place until finally, we decided to escape. We've been on the run ever since."

"How did you become orphans? Were your parents killed in a fire?" Klaus asked as Mark who had tried unsuccessfully to tear a piece of bread off the loaf dropped it suddenly to the floor as Jane gasped out loud.

"How did you know?" Mark whispered as Klaus felt a wave of sympathy come over him. Klaus took a moment to assess the situation. It might be too dangerous to reveal who he really was, particularly in a village where his name was still associated with murder. Nevertheless, Klaus took up a chair as he recounted parts of his story to both Mark and Jane, careful as to not mention his or his sisters' real names or how they looked like. He could see both Mark and Jane listening intently to his story as the loaf of bread and water laid forgotten.

"And I thought my life was bad," Mark spoke. "I recognise some of the places you've been to. Like Heimlich Hospital."

"The hospital was destroyed," Klaus replied as Jane shook her head.

"No, it's been rebuilt," Jane replied. "By an organisation known as V.F.D, the same one you and your sisters encountered. Do you think they're the ones responsible for our parents' death?"

"Probay the ones from the fire- starting side," Klaus replied as Mark nodded his head eagerly.

"Hey! If you're on the hunt for your sisters, we could follow you!" Mark replied as Jane nodded. "Help us get out of here and we can help."

Klaus paused for the moment. He had been feeling lonely ever since his departure from Prufrock. Giving Mark and Jane a smile, Klaus nodded his head.

"Wait, you said you've escaped from this situation once before," Jane said excitedly. "Could you describe to us what your sister did?"

Before he could utter a single world, Pepper called Klaus back to his office.

"I'll be back," Klaus promised as he made his way upstairs. He could hear both Mark and Jane nodding and discussing excitedly amongst themselves as Klaus soon found himself back in Pepper's office, with Pepper giving Klaus a rather strange look.

"I have bad news, worse news and good news." Pepper replied as Klaus closed the door. "Which would you like to hear first?"

"Give me the news in that order," Klaus replied, not wanting to get his hopes up before being crushed again.

"The bad news is that there is no sign of the pair you just described ever entering the village," Pepper spoke as Klaus felt a wave of disappointment. Though his hopes had been slim, Klaus still had faith at the improbability of his sisters' return to this accursed place.

"What's the worse news?" Klaus said. Pepper started to glare at Klaus before giving him a smug look as he threw a large brown book on the desk.

"This is, of course, the revised Volume of Formal Detectives that every detective in the country is currently listed in, including officers and recruits in the running to become a detective. Your name fails to appear even once, Detective Herman, which brings me to the conclusion that you are not a real detective." Pepper drawled as Klaus felt his nerves stand on end. It was a completely unexpected move as Klaus watched Pepper remove a silver revolver from his holster.

"I should lock you up as well for impersonating an officer, not to mention question you as to why you would use such an identity," Pepper spoke.

"I can explain…" Klaus replied as Pepper raised his other hand, not wishing to be interrupted.

"However, here comes the good news for you. In order for me to question you, you must first appear before the Council of Elders who can only conduct the trial tomorrow, not to mention that I would have to do a ton of paperwork. So here's what I'm going to do. Seeing that I have already gotten two heinous criminals and have to oversee a burning tomorrow, I'm in no mood to go through prosecuting someone whom I'm met so late in the night. Rather, I'm going to let you off the hook provided you leave this office and village immediately. If I do see you again, I will place you under arrest. How's that for competency?" Pepper spoke as he slammed his knuckles onto his desk.

As Klaus was being escorted out of the station by Pepper, he gave both Mark and Jane an apologetic look as they both stared at him wordlessly in despair.

….

Though Hector's home still had the beds that Klaus, Violet, and Sunny slept in during the time back when they first entered the Village of Fowl Devotees, Klaus preferred the comfort of his car as he laid down a blanket to rest his head.

He had thought of doubling-back to tell Mark and Jane about how he and his sisters had managed to break out of the cell but it was too risky. Chief Pepper had proven himself to be a most difficult opponent and the thought of his revolver in the hand of an unruly police officer was not one Klaus wanted to face.

As he laid down on the blanket, Klaus's mind began to rationalise the situation. On one hand, he owed Mark and Jane nothing and the idea of him driving into the village to help them escape seemed like a fool's choice as not only were the odds against him but Klaus knew it was not only his life that would be at risk but Violet's and Sunny's as well. Finding his family was his number one priority and staying in the village to help two people whom he barely knew didn't seem like a wise choice.

Yet Klaus knew, deep in his heart, that there was no choice as well. As soon as he reached his car, Klaus had already formulated a plan to help the two teenagers escape. He took comfort in the knowledge that Violet if she knew what Klaus was planning to do, would not only have approved of the idea but would have been proud of her younger brother as she was on the first night at Hector's home.

…

"She sleeps like a star." Klaus chuckled as Violet giggled at the sight of their little sister sprawled wide open on one of the twin beds in the room. Violet gently covered Sunny with a blanket while placing a soft pillow at the back of her head, careful not to wake her up. Both Klaus and Violet knew the dangers of waking Sunny up from her nap, the countless soft bites on their hands in their younger days serve as a reminder not to mess with a cranky Sunny.

"Klaus, what are you doing?" Violet asked as Klaus threw a pillow and blanket on the floor.

"Well, there's no space on Sunny's bed for you or I to sleep without rousing her up," Klaus replied. "You take the other bed and I'll take the floor."

"My brother the gentleman." Violet laughed as she shook her head. "You do realise we can share the bed. Like we did when you were little."

"That's because I was afraid of the dark." Klaus groaned. "Besides, we're older now. We can't share a bed."

"Oh please," Violet said as she pushed her pillow aside to allow another to be placed next to it. "Klaus, you're never too old to sleep with your sister."

It only took a moment for Violet to realise the mistake she had just made but as soon as Violet gasped and placed her hand over her mouth, Klaus was grinning widely from ear to ear.

"What did you say?" Klaus replied as Violet blushed from ear to ear before composing herself.

"Nothing!" Violet replied hastily as she glared at Klaus who looked beside himself.

"Well, how about we compromise? You won't bring up my horny remark and I won't bring up the time you suggested we sleep together." Klaus said as Violet raised her hands in defeat.

"Fine! But if you bring it up, I'm so kicking you to the floor." Violet said as Klaus gave her a mock look of hurt before grinning at his sister. Violet and Klaus both squeezed onto the tiny bed with Klaus having his left leg dangling from the side of the bed.

"Remind me never to let Sunny go to sleep before us," Klaus grumbled as he turned to his sister who had become silent as she stared out at Hector's barn. "Violet, what is it?"

"Do you really think his invention would work?" Violet whispered.

"I hope so. Can you imagine living in a mobile home, just us, the Quagmires and Hector? That would be awesome." Klaus replied as Violet gave him a slight nudge.

"First we have to find them." Violet sighed as Klaus nodded his head.

"We will."

"How can you be so sure?" Violet asked as she turned to face him.

"Because it's you and me. How can we not?" Klaus whispered back, his eyes studying his sister's face. For many years, Klaus often saw his sister as a child, a kid just like him and yet, even without his glasses that Klaus had placed safely in a drawer, Klaus could see that the person staring back at him was no longer a child. Violet was slowly but surely growing up into a beautiful woman and one whom Klaus knew, would be the envy of women and the joy of men everywhere. His thoughts turned to Duncan as Klaus chuckled at the thought of how Duncan Quagmire might react if he was in Klaus's position right now.

"You're right," Violet said as she beamed at him. "We'll find them and all of us can live with Hector. He seems genuinely nice."

"If only he was more assertive." Klaus sighed. Too often in their journey, Klaus found himself having less faith in the adults around them even those of whom had good intentions. From Charlie to Jerome Squalor and now Hector, Klaus often found himself rolling his eyes or shaking his head as to the thought of the character of these individuals.

"He's just scared, Klaus," Violet replied as Klaus shook his head.

"I know he's scared, Violet. And while I do like Hector a lot, I do, but I'm honestly tired of all these adults not being able to stand up for what's right. I mean, sure Hector is a good guardian but does he really have to faint all the time?"

"Maybe he went through a traumatic experience when he was younger." Violet reasoned as she patted her brother's hand. "We shouldn't judge people too much."

"True." Klaus relented as he agreed with his sister. "But it's just difficult sometimes. If one of the adults in our lives just stood up to believe us and fought for what's right regardless of the consequences that could happen to them, I believe we wouldn't be in so much of a mess as we are now. Imagine if Jerome had stood up to Esme? Or if Charles had stood up to Sir?"

"You can't blame people for thinking about themselves." Violet sighed. "Both Jerome and Charles wanted to believe in the best of their partners. It's difficult for people to think about others when they're suffering themselves."

"Well, in any case, I'm not going to be like that." Klaus sighed. "If someone needed me even if it comes with dangerous consequences, I'm going to help them. Like the Quagmires."

"Duncan and Isadora helped us because we're friends, Klaus," Violet replied.

"Even if they were strangers, I would help them." Klaus reiterated as Violet gave him a smile.

"I'm proud of you, Klaus," Violet replied as she gave him a peck on his forehead. "Our parents really did raise us well, didn't they?"

"So did you." Klaus replied as Violet blushed under his compliment. "You're the most selfless person I know, Violet."

"Stop it." Violet giggled as she turned away, embarrassed by Klaus's comment. "Well, let's hope you keep that value of helping people in greateer need with you always, Klaus. Who knows, it could come in handy one day if you ever choose to run for a political office. It's sad to see some politicians only thinking about themselves nowadays.

"Tell me about it. Though I doubt I'll ever be a politician, Violet." Klaus replied with a laugh.

…

"Mayor!" Quentin exclaimed once more. "You're going to ask the Mayor to appoint you as his immediate successor."

"Yes," Klaus replied as Quentin stared at Klaus with awe. "I figured why should I bother asking the Mayor to look for my sisters when I can take over and do it myself. Besides, it wouldn't be right. All this talk about Scabs and Uppers shouldn't exist. Everyone should be gauged by their character, not their reputation or social class or economic status. I figured that if I used the Favour to become Mayor, not only can I get what I want but I could do so much more to help this city."

"Not to mention," Quentin replied with a grin. "Overruling your previous convictions."

"I can do that?!" Klaus exclaimed in surprise as Quentin nodded.

"But of course!" Quentin said as he beamed at Klaus. "Being Mayor of Viceroy City gives you immense power. Not only will you be diplomatically immune to future convictions but you could use your power and influence to overturn any previous ones, including those involving your sisters."

"I didn't know that," Klaus said excitedly as Quentin laughed.

"Fancy that, Klaus Baudelaire not knowing something."

A loud annoying ringing, akin to that of fire bell, rang throughout the room as Quentin and Klaus covered their ears.

"That's the sound that the intermission is about to be over soon," Quentin said as he glared at the speakers which had brought out the sound. "We better hurry back or else that blasted sound is going to go off again."

"Let's do this," Klaus said as Quentin reached for the door before pausing and looking back at Klaus.

"You know," Quentin spoke in an earnest tone as he turned back to Klaus. "Before this game show, all I saw was a contestant that I was willing to sponsor as he displayed the tenacity and willingness to take this game all the way to the end. I was rooting for you to win before but now, now I'm more than just hoping. I want nothing else but you to win, Klaus Baudelaire. You're going to do it, I'm sure of it."

"Thank you, Quentin," Klaus replied as he shook the man's hand. "I should thank you for having faith in me. Before this game show, I always wondered what kind of man you are but now, I'm glad to have trusted you. You're a good man, Quentin."

"What can I say?" Quentin said as he reached into his drawer and pulled out an item. Klaus gasped in astonishment as Quentin handed him a green band. "I empathise with you."

"You were a Scab?" Klaus exclaimed as Quentin nodded his head.

"I was," Quentin answered. "And I had to work my way to becoming an Upper so I can tell you, from the bottom of my heart, that I want nothing more than to see you succeed, Klaus Baudelaire. Although the stakes may be high and the road is not without its huge obstacles, I believe that you will triumph! We need you as mayor, Klaus."

Another ringing filled the air abruptly as Quentin cursed out loudly before dragging Klaus out of the room.

"Remember, Klaus, stay focused," Quentin yelled above the noise. "Whatever it is, don't lose sight of the end and go through everything calmly. Keep both hands on the wheel." As Klaus re-entered the arena to a chorus of applause from the audience members, he could still hear the faint ringing of the fire alarm as Klaus readied himself for what lies ahead.

….

 _I must be crazy!_

The thought rang through Klaus's head as he grabbed both hands on the steering wheel. With the use of binoculars and a good vantage point from a branch of the Nevermore Tree, Klaus had seen the village mob finishing the final touches on their stake on top a wooden pyre. He could see both Mark and Jane being escorted out of the police station by Chief Pepper as Klaus turned his engine on. He had only one shot at this as Klaus slammed his foot onto the gas pedal.

The only good thing about a frenzied mob, Klaus noted, is that the loud chanting drew their attention away from the loud roaring engine of his car as Klaus rode it towards the village. It was only when he drew closer towards the mob that a few of the villagers turned their attention to him, screaming as Klaus drove his car in between the pyre where Mark and Jane were and the villagers themselves. The swift turn of his car caused a large cloud of dust to gather, giving Klaus enough time to get out of the car and throw six bags of flour he had found in Hector's home on the ground, causing an even larger cloud blinding the villagers as he raced up the pyre.

Mark and Jane could cry out in astonishment as Klaus noted that they were both gagged and bound to the stakes. Taking out a knife, Klaus released them from their bonds as they spat out the gags.

"Herman!" Mark cried out in relief.

"You came for us!" Jane added.

"Quick! Get in the car before the flour settles!" Klaus cried but it was too late. A large gust of wind had blown the flour away, leaving a very visible Klaus together with Mark and Jane standing awkwardly on top of the pile. Pepper had composed himself, his revolver gleaming in the sunlight as he pointed the weapon directly at Klaus.

"I thought I told you to leave, Herman," Pepper spoke, his eyes glaring as another voice interjected in.

"That's not Herman." the voice spoke as everyone turned to an elderly woman, one whom Klaus recognised as being a member of the Council of Elders. "That's Klaus Baudelaire."

The mention of his real name garnered whispers and excited chatting amongst the crowd as Pepper looked on, confused. Klaus turned to Mark and Jane. Mark had a look of desperation on his face as he searched for a way out of their predicament but it was Jane who had the most interesting response.

"You're Klaus! Violet's brother!" Jane cried.

Nothing but the astonishment of hearing someone mention his sister's name could have stopped Klaus in his tracks as he attempted to figure a way out. Klaus grabbed Jane by the shoulders.

"You've seen my sister?"

"Of course! She's –"

BANG!

Klaus felt Jane stumbling towards him as he caught her with Mark screaming Jane's name at the top of his lungs. Klaus could see a trickle of blood on the side of Jane's face as he held her in his arms.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU MONSTER!" Mark roared as he leapt from the pyre to tackle Pepper who looked shocked at what he had done. As Mark tackled Pepper to the ground, Klaus grabbed the gun and pointed it around the village.

"Nobody move!" Klaus ordered as his eyes caught sight of Jane's chest which was rising and falling.

 _She's alive!_ Klaus thought excitedly as he yelled at Mark who was now struggling with Chief Pepper. "Mark, Jane's alive! She's alive!"

"Of course she's alive!" Pepper retorted as Mark took himself off him to tend to Jane. "I only fired a warning shot!"

"You're lucky the bullet just grazed her skull." Klaus snapped as he aimed the gun at Pepper. Every fibre in his body wanted to put a bullet into Pepper's kneecap for taking such a dangerous shot at an innocent girl and yet, somehow in all the confusion and melee, Klaus could hear Violet's voice urging for him to take control.

Violet.

His sister.

Whom Jane seemed to recognise and know.

Klaus 's brain roared into action.

"Mark, get Jane inside the car. We're leaving." Klaus said as Mark nodded his head before carrying Jane and placing her gently inside the car as Klaus headed to the front of his car.

"You can't just leave!" Pepper yelled though he and the rest of the villagers were still eying the gun that Klaus Baudelaire held in his hand. Klaus gave a look of disgust. He hated this village. Hated it with a burning passion. Other than Count Olaf and Esme Squalor, few others filed Klaus with as much revulsion as the Village of Fowl Devotees who consisted of a bunch of people that had previously tried to execute Klaus and his sisters after a misguided trial in a kangaroo court and it seemed that, even with a couple of years since that incident, not much had changed. As Klaus wondered what good it would be to allow such vile people to continue in their ways, his eyes fell to the gun in his hand. Glaring at the villagers with a particular emphasis on the Council of Elders and Chief Pepper, Klaus raised his gun before pulling the trigger several times.

…..

The applause Klaus received as he entered the arena sounded like gunshots to him. As Klaus Baudelaire sat in his seat with Quentin welcoming them back, he took a moment to look out at the audience.

Klaus could see the Scabs all seated in their back rows cheering him on loudly, their raucous support growing by the minute. In front of them were the Norms, many of whom were cheering him on as well as they waved towards him. Yet Klaus's attention was fully focused on the Uppers. He could see a few of them, clapping for him as they smiled but there were many of whom had sneering looks on their faces as they laughed about smugly. Klaus could even hear some of them commenting on how much they wished to see him fail while others appeared to be placing bets as to when Klaus would lose.

It pained Klaus to admit it but there were times when he had to face the truth. People had a tendency to be cruel. From Count Olaf to Esme Squalor to countless others, Klaus had felt the brunt of cruel and evil people from all walks of life, doing whatever despicable and horrible things they could to destroy as many lives as they possibly can. Klaus Baudelaire wondered how people could do such horrid things, how they could cause havoc on so many victims while they lived a life of comfort and luxury. To Klaus, nothing was worse than a bunch of people forcing their will on others so as to hurt and cause them pain. V.F.D or no V.F.D, Klaus intended to change things for the better.

Yet it was too easy for one to give to emotion when it comes to changing things for the better or dealing out justice.

When it comes to putting out fires, there are several ways in which one can choose to do so. The obvious method of putting out a fire is by throwing water at it or using a substance or device that prevents the fire from receiving heat or oxygen. Another method would be to remove the fire's fuel source and just let it die down. One of the most unconventional methods of fighting a fire is by starting another one. In its literal meaning, the term is derived from methods used in fighting a raging forest fire where one could set up smaller, controlled fires in certain areas so as to burn off any possible fuel that the forest fire could use, thus allowing the forest fire to die out.

The figurative sense of the phrase, however, was what Klaus was more concerned with. Throughout his lifetime, there were only a few occasions where Klaus's burning rage threatened to spill over. Fighting fire with fire meant that one would use similarly extreme methods as one's attackers on the latter, usually done out of spite or vengeance and Klaus knew the dangers of doing so. Though there had been times when he had come close to going over the line, it was to his credit that Klaus managed to control his emotions before doing something he might later regret.

As Klaus stared out at the Uppers, he tried to restrain his anger as he once had to do when coming face to face with a large mob of people who had bad intentions for him. Klaus gazed out at the audience before the glass structure was lowered, leaving Quentin as the only sole person he could see.

"Klaus?" Quentin said as Klaus pulled himself away from his thoughts and onto the game show.

…

"Klaus?"

Klaus stared down at the revolver in his bloodied hands. A part of him relished the power that the weapon gave him, the look of fear on the eyes of the villagers as they saw him brandishing the weapon and raising it towards them. Klaus watched as Chief Pepper together with the Council of Elders cowered under their torches as some of them even begged for their lives. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, Klaus could feel a burning desire to execute justice to a group of people that were so willing to burn children at the stake. All that anger, accrued from months and years of frustration and pain being the victims of wayward and cruel adults were begging to be let out and Klaus could think of no group of people better suited than those from the Village of Fowl Devotees.

"Why didn't you?" Mark spoke, pulling Klaus out of his thoughts. Klaus looked to Mark who seemed to be studying the revolver in Klaus's hands. Though Mark didn't finish his question, Klaus knew as to what he was referring to.

"Can't fight fire with fire," Klaus said as he threw the revolver as far away as he could. He had aimed the gun at the villagers before raising it up in the air and emptying the chamber as much as he could until the weapon was out of ammunition. Throwing it towards a crouched Chief of Police who was in a fetal position, Klaus got into his car and drove as fast as he could away from the Village of Fowl Devotees.

"Can't say the same for myself," Mark replied as he clenched his fists. "God only knows what I would have done to them for hurting Jane."

"How is she anyways?" Klaus asked as Mark's expression became despondent.

"She's stable for now, I think," Mark said as he motioned towards the car which had been parked outside of the gas pumps at the Last Chance General Store. Klaus's high speeds through the Hinterlands had been halted by the lack of gas, causing Klaus to stop at the general store to fill in gas. Mark had offered to do the deed, eager to get his mind off Jane whose condition didn't look to be worsening or improving since they left the village.

"Let's go," Klaus said as Mark reached for his hand.

"Klaus, the Volunteers Fighting Diseases will be stopping by here soon. You don't have to take us there." Mark said as Klaus shook his head.

"Nonsense. Of course, I do. What are friends for?" Klaus replied.

As they drove down the road towards their destination, Klaus could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he sped down the road. Though Mark was grateful for Klaus's intervention and help, Klaus knew as to the other reason for him driving at full speed towards the hospital. Jane Austen was aware of who his sister was and might be his biggest chance for Klaus to find out about her whereabouts. Things were all coming to a head as Klaus, along with his two new companions, made their way towards Heimlich Hospital.

…..


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Apologies for the long wait but I wasn't happy with how this chapter initially went and so I decided to change it over and over again. It's over 10,000 words long and my longest chapter to date. Other chapters wouldn't be this long in the future.**

 **Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate all the reviews and comments so do keep them coming! Thank you.**

Chapter 9

"So Klaus," Quentin said as he motioned to the blank screens. "Are you ready for the ninth question?"

"Let's do this," Klaus said as his reply was met with a chorus of cheers.

"Now for those viewers who just tuned in, my contestant tonight is none other than twenty-year-old Klaus Baudelaire! Now, Klaus here is on a mission to complete the entire game show, something that's never been done before! Now, Klaus here comes from a family of three kids and has been searching for his missing sisters for six whole years!" Quentin exclaimed to the cameras as Klaus nodded along. "Tell us, Klaus, what are your sisters' names again?"

"My younger sister is Sunny Baudelaire and she is about nine to ten years of age. My older sister's name is Violet Baudelaire and she is twenty-two years of age this year." Klaus replied as Quentin stared at him.

"So I take it that during these six years, you haven't heard a peep as to their whereabouts?"

"Well, there have been whisperings and a few clues but they are still missing to me." Klaus sighed as Quentin nodded. "I haven't seen Sunny since she was a toddler. Can't imagine what she would be like now."

"Six years is far too long," Quentin replied sympathetically.

"Yes, it is." Klaus sighed.

"What about Violet, Klaus? You haven't seen Violet for six years!" Quentin exclaimed.

"Well…" Klaus spoke as he averted his gaze away. "That's not exactly true."

….

"HELP, WE NEED HELP HERE!" Mark yelled as he and Klaus stumbled into the hospital. Jane had slumped into unconsciousness during the ride towards the hospital and Klaus had a hard time focusing on the road while trying to calm Mark who was beside himself. Klaus recalled breathing a sigh of relief as his eyes found Heimlich Hospital in the distance.

On the outside, the hospital looked similar to what it once was before Count Olaf had burned it down. It was again, only half built with one side having scaffolding while the other was an empty metal structure, similar to the one that Klaus and his sisters spend the night while being pursued by Count Olaf.

On the inside, Heimlich Hospital had certainly changed quite a bit. As they entered the hospital with Jane looking like she was inches away from death's door, Klaus noticed the brightly-lit and floral-patterned lobby which was strange considering that the exterior of Heimlich Hospital still had a dreary and gloomy look to it with its grey outside walls and poorly-maintained windows. There were comfortable chairs around the area with the hospital lobby being well-furnished with paintings of clouds strewn around the room to the flower pots that were scattered all throughout the lobby. Klaus could even hear a tune being played on the intercom, no doubt to add to the pleasant and peaceful atmosphere of the place. There was something quite familiar with the tune, almost like a song Klaus had heard before but without lyrics. Before he could dig deeper to the origin of the tune, Klaus noticed two medical orderlies approaching them.

"Please, please," Mark begged as the two orderlies place Jane on a stretcher. "You have to help her. She's been shot."

"Let's get her to the emergency room!" One of the orderlies said in a gruff, male voice. With their face masks and white uniform, it was difficult for Klaus to see who the orderlies were. The second orderly, no doubt a woman judging from her figure, checked Jane's wound before turning to Mark.

"We'll take care of her, don't you worry. Doctor Victor is the best doctor in the land and he can help her."

"Thank you!" Mark replied

"We would need one of you to come with us to explain what happened while the other can stay here and fill up the paperwork."

Mark turned to Klaus who nodded. "Go with Jane. I'll fill it up."

"Thanks, Klaus!" Mark cried gratefully before disappearing down the hallway with the two orderlies. Klaus walked to the reception counter where he could see a button and a sign that said PUSH. Klaus looked around the empty lobby before peering over the counter. With no one in sight, Klaus pressed the button on the counter.

"Hello?" Klaus cried out before the tune on the intercom started to crackle and a woman's voice came on.

"State your purpose of visit." the voice spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Er…I'm here on behalf of a patient. She's being treated in the emergency room."

"What is your relationship to the patient?" the voice said.

"We're friends," Klaus replied.

"Is there anyone from the patient's family that you could contact?"

"She's an orphan."

"Very well. Please be seated in the lobby. Someone will come to assist you shortly."

"Thank you," Klaus replied as he threw himself on one of the soft cushioned sofas in the lobby. Despite having driven for quite some time, Klaus felt alert and focused. The tune came on the intercom once more as Klaus tried to isolate the sound. He could hear a tremolo guitar being played together with a piano-bass backing. Klaus was starting to get frustrated. The tune sounded so familiar….

CRASH!

Klaus jumped up from the sofa, startled by the sound of a metal tray crashing onto the floor. Turning around, Klaus could see glass syringes rolling about on the floor while the shattered remains of a glass beaker laid scattered all around. Yet Klaus couldn't care at all for the mess. His eyes were glued towards the orderly who had dropped the tray, his mouth dangling open as Klaus stared back in shock.

From her piercing blue eyes to the familiar bangs strewn across the forehead, the orderly stared back at Klaus as her long brown hair fell neatly on her back tied together with a pink ribbon. Though she was wearing a nurse's uniform, there was no mistaking the appearance of the doe-eyed girl with slightly thick red lips staring back in shock at Klaus. Adjusting his glasses so as not to be fooled, Klaus was glad that the image before him remained the same as it had always been ever since he was born.

"Violet?"

…..

At first, there was nothing but a long pause as the two siblings stared at each other in shock. Then came the scream of surprise as both Klaus and Violet ran towards each other at such a quick pace that both could hardly stop in time before crashing into a tight embrace. Klaus wrapped his arms around his sister as tightly as he could, fearful that should he let go, Violet would disappear once more while Violet peppered his face with light kisses all around. Klaus's glasses had fallen off his nose and yet Klaus could hardly give a damn if his spectacles had broken into a million pieces.

"How…What…I can't believe…." Klaus stammered as he felt tears streaking down his face. He could feel his shoulder getting damp as Violet rested her head beside his, both siblings tearing up as they nearly fell to the floor. After what seemed like an eternity to Klaus, he pulled away slightly from his sister's embrace although he kept his arms firmly on her waist. His sister had grown slightly the last time he saw her though Klaus was still taller. Klaus felt a momentary blush on his cheeks as his eyes ran down to his sister's bosom which had grown quite considerably the last time he laid eyes on her.

"It's really you?!" Violet whispered as she ran her fingers across his face.

"It's really me." Klaus sighed as Violet stared at him for the longest time. Klaus watched his sister's eyes warily as they stopped tearing and a look of anger came on her face. Before he could say anything, Klaus felt himself being shoved backwards.

"Violet?!" Klaus cried in surprise as his sister started to beat on his chest with her tiny fists. Even though her fists didn't hurt as much as Klaus thought it would, he was still taken aback as to her anger. "Violet! Stop! What are you doing?!"

"How could you, Klaus?!" Violet yelled as she pushed him away. "How could you do this to us? To Sunny?! To me?!"

"What on earth are you talking about?!" Klaus yelled

"THE ROPE, YOU IDIOT!" Violet screamed as she glared at Klaus. "WHY DID YOU LET GO?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH?! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO SUNNY, TO BEATRICE?! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!"

Klaus felt his heart sinking into his chest as he watched his sister break down in front of him. He had almost forgotten about that horrible day out at sea.

"Violet, I'm sorry," Klaus said as he led his sister to a nearby chair. Klaus noticed that his foot had stepped on a syringe and yet, he was numb to any sensation besides the painful look in his sister's eyes. "If I had pulled on that rope, the rest of you could have been caught in the whirlpool."

"So you thought you'll sacrifice yourself for us?!" Violet snapped as she glared at him. "Fancy that. My brother a hero."

"There was no choice, Vi!"

"There's always a way, Klaus!"

"You could have died!"

"So could you!" Violet snapped back, her voice raised. "I thought you died! Sunny thought you died! Beatrice thought you died! How did you think I was after all that? I went crazy, Klaus! Sunny had to take care of me after that! Imagine that! Our baby sister taking care of me!"

"Where's Sunny?" Klaus whispered as Violet composed herself.

"She's fine," Violet whispered. "I put her up at a boarding school far from here. I visit her whenever I can."

"I've been searching for you for ages. So too have the V.F.D." Klaus replied as Violet scoffed.

"So you're in the V.F.D now?"

"I needed a way to find you!" Klaus replied, his voice now rising. "You think you were the only one who went crazy?! I've been searching for you and Sunny for so long!"

"You wouldn't have to if you just held onto the rope," Violet replied bitterly.

"You were going to die! What else was I supposed to do?!" Klaus roared.

"You could have held on!" Violet screamed.

"You would have died, Violet!"

"I DID DIE, KLAUS!" Violet screeched as she grabbed Klaus's arm before sobbing into his chest. Klaus wrapped a protective arm around his sister as he pulled her close.

"I did die that day, Klaus. How could you expect me to live on if you're not there?" Violet croaked. Klaus remained silent as he whispered soothingly into his sister's ears while the familiar tune from the intercom started to play.

….

"Wait, so you found your sister? What happened to her?" Mark asked. Klaus placed his hands into his pockets as he sat on the chair next to Mark.

"It's a long story. Something about Finnish pirates and some other stuff I can't recall right now." Klaus replied. "To tell you the truth, I'm still in shock that I found her."

Mark placed a comforting arm on his shoulder. "Well, I'm glad that you found her, Klaus. You deserve it, mate, after what you did for us. Where is Violet anyways?"

"She had to go back to work," Klaus replied as he stared at the white doors of the emergency room. "How's Jane?"

Mark shook his head as Klaus noticed his red eyes. "Doctor Victor said that she's stable for now but the bullet wound is actually worse than we thought. I'm just hoping for the best."

Klaus nodded his head as he sat back into his seat. He couldn't possibly imagine what Mark must be going through right now. If it had been Violet in there, Klaus had no doubt he would have reacted the same way. Klaus closed his eyes as he tried to get some sleep only to hear the familiar tune playing on the intercom once more.

 _What the hell_ Klaus thought as he tried to focus on the song. It sounded so familiar. Like a lullaby, one would sing to someone just before they go to…

"Mark Twain and Klaus Baudelaire?"

Klaus gave a start as he felt someone tapping him on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, Klaus could see a tall, light-skinned man with brown fuzzy hair in a white coat staring kindly at him as Mark stood up in a rush next to Klaus.

"How is she, Doctor Victor?" Mark asked.

"She's stable like I told you," Victor replied gently though the frown on his face suggested something else. "However, Jane had gone into a coma."

"A coma?" Klaus and Mark cried in unison.

"Yes, a coma. You see, gentlemen, a coma is a state of unconsciousness where a person cannot be awakened until he or she does so themselves. This happens when an injury occurs at either the cerebral cortex, which is the gray matter that forms the outer layer of the brain or a structure located in the brainstem called the reticular activating system or RAS. The injury to either would be sufficient to cause a patient to experience a coma and the bullet to which Jane was shot with has led to an injury in her cerebral cortex. To put it simply and in laymen's terms, we are doing all we can to keep her alive but only Jane and her brain can wake her up."

Klaus watched as Mark's face paled at the mention of her words. Noticing that his friend was in no condition to ask questions, Klaus took the lead instead.

"Doctor, I…"

"Please, call me Victor."

"Okay, Victor," Klaus spoke. "How long will she be in a coma?"

"Hard to say." Victor sighed. "Unfortunately, due to the damage that has been spreading throughout her brain, it's hard to determine when or if she might wake up?"

"But the possibility does exist." Klaus insisted while motioning his head towards the grief-stricken Mark.

"Yes, of course," Victor replied quickly, getting the hint. "There are many cases as to people who awaken from comas and live perfectly normal and healthy lives."

"Okay good. I mean…it is good that she's stable and that the possibility exists." Klaus said as he turned his attention to Mark who gave a reluctant nod.

"Well, she's hooked up to a life support system. Why don't you go and see her?" Victor said as he placed a reassuring arm on Mark. Mark turned to Klaus, who gave him a gentle nudge, before nodding his head and disappearing between the doors.

"I'm sorry if I was too blunt just now. I didn't want to get his hopes up." Victor spoke as soon as Mark disappeared. Klaus nodded his head. He knew all too well the dangers of one getting their hopes up.

"So, honestly, tell me, doctor, how is she?" Klaus said as Victor gave him a bittersweet smile before motioning Klaus down the hallway.

….

"How about we just get on with the question?" Quentin said as he noticed Klaus shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Sure," Klaus replied with a grateful nod towards Quentin.

"Very well! Now for our viewers, this is the ninth question of our game show. The monetary value of the question stands at twenty-five thousand dollars. Klaus, you are reminded that you only have one life-line left and that is to ask the audience. Now the question is as follows. Which part of our human stores our emotional experiences such as our most frightening memories? Is it…"

Amygdala

Hippocampus

Locus ceruleus

Prefrontal cortex

Klaus did a double-take as he saw the question appear on the screen. For years, Klaus had always been complimented about his brain and his ability to absorb knowledge. Yet the human brain was a complex topic for Klaus and the question would have posed quite a challenge if not for what Klaus experienced more than three years ago.

…

"I believe you know my assistant." Dr. Victor said as Klaus entered his office to see Violet standing next to the table.

"You could say that," Klaus said as he smiled at Violet who gave him a hug.

"So you two are finally reunited," Victor spoke as he beamed at the pair of siblings. "You should have seen her when she first came here to work for me. Couldn't go a single day without talking about you. If I didn't know you were her sibling, Klaus, I would say that she's in love with you."

"We're just very close," Klaus said as a faint blush came on his cheeks although a peek at his sister's face showed the same reaction. Victor gave a light chuckle.

"Anyways, how about I just wrap this up so that you and your sister can spend some quality time together?" Victor said as he sat in his chair before pushing a folder towards Klaus.

"Here is the medical report I've come up with so far on Jane as well as some scans of her brain. Now, as you can read, the damage from the bullet wound on her head has been spreading and right now, in simple terms, certain parts of her brain are finding it difficult to work or to repair itself. Now, I'm sure that on the car ride here, Jane must have been complaining about head pain but of course, any damage to the brain itself couldn't possibly be felt as…"

"…the brain has no pain receptors," Klaus replied as he handed the folder back to Victor. "I've read up on the brain before. Well, certain areas. Could never really finish that book on the Incomplete History of the Human Brain."

"Are you sure you're Klaus?" Violet laughed as Klaus's face turned red once more. "Not to worry, Klaus, because you see, Victor here has a solution to Jane's coma."

"He has?" Klaus said.

"That I do," Victor replied. "You see, Klaus, the issue with Jane's brain right now is that there are parts that are failing and sooner than you think, her entire brain might fail as well. So what we need to do is to keep her brain active. Not just certain parts but all of it, you see. So then, Klaus, tell me what activity can a comatose patient do that will allow her brain to work actively?"

"I have no idea," Klaus replied.

BANG!

Klaus jumped with a start as Violet placed a large object on Victor's desk. It was a huge metal contraption attached with a translucent helmet, wires, and tubes. Klaus had never seen such a device in his life and felt his curiosity rising as he inspected the device.

"What is this?" Klaus asked as Victor grinned at him.

"This, my boy, is the Visual Fantasy Dreamcatcher," Victor spoke with as much passion and awe as he admired his device.

"A dreamcatcher?" Klaus asked as he turned to Violet.

"You see, Klaus," Violet explained as she handed him the helmet. "Dreaming is an activity that requires the entire brain to be active. When we dream, our brain is working constantly around the clock. There have been records of comatose patients who describe themselves dreaming while they slept although there have also been documented cases of patients experience nothing but blackness during the time when they slept. So what Victor and I have been working on is this device to encourage a person to dream."

"In doing so, it would allow us to help the brain remain active to the point that if things get too unbearable or if anything would happen in the dream, it might cause the person to snap themselves awake thus getting out from the coma," Victor added.

"That is impressive, guys," Klaus replied excitedly. "We could save Jane.

"But this is just a prototype, Klaus," Violet said as she placed her hand on his. "There's every possibility that the device won't work."

"Since when have any of your inventions not work?" Klaus said as Violet gave him a blush. Victor clapped his hands excitedly.

"So that settles it. You would let us use the device on Jane?"

"Wait, why do you need my permission?" Klaus asked.

"Because you and Mark are now considered to be her next-of-kin because of her status as an orphan," Violet explained. "We would need either of your permission to go ahead with any type of operation."

"It's Heimlich Hospital policy. We cannot, under any circumstances, operate nor do anything without your signed permission." Victor added. "Besides, we could sure use your help, Klaus."

"Of course," Klaus replied as Violet beamed at him.

….

"You really think this device would work?" Klaus whispered as he found himself inside one of the staff's sleeping quarters. Violet had shown him to the bottom bunk of her bed. Though he tried to get some sleep, Klaus found it difficult to drift off and instead, spent most of the first hour tossing and turning in his bed. Klaus felt the bunk bed start to shift as he saw Violet descending down onto his bed.

"You really aren't going to go to bed, are you?" Violet said with a smirk.

"Well, considering that I just reunited with my long-lost sister and I'm currently helping her with her invention, it's kind of hard just going back to sleep," Klaus replied as Violet gave a laugh before lying down next to her brother. Klaus shifted to the side as his sister laid on the bed with her face turned to face him.

"Tell you what," Violet whispered as Klaus stared at her brown bangs and blue eyes. "You get five questions and once I've answered them all, you have to promise me that you'll try to get some sleep."

"Okay," Klaus spoke as he thought of his first question. "Tell me about what happened to you after you and I were separated."

"Well…" Violet sighed. "At first, I was convinced you had perished at sea but Sunny convinced me that you were still alive. But we couldn't bring Beatrice so I left her with a nice woman at an orphanage before Sunny and I went out looking for you. I came across a band of female Finnish pirates, you know, the one that descended from a long line of pirates who invented the Devil's Tongue and I convinced them to let me and Sunny join their crew. Our first instinct was to go back to the island where you were."

"Yes, I was waiting for you there," Klaus replied as Violet gave him pained look.

"That's exactly it. We couldn't find the island no matter how much we searched. So one of the pirates convinced me that after a year, you might have left the island and made your way to some sea-faring port. So we went to all the ports along the coast of many countries and islands, trying to find you."

"The V.F.D was on the lookout for you," Klaus spoke. "Why didn't you try to contact them?"

"One of the pirates had run afoul of the V.F.D years ago and because of that, we had to avoid the organisation or any places that alluded to the V.F.D" Violet sighed. "Also because we were at sea, I guess, that made it difficult for anyone to find us."

"I see," Klaus replied. "But why come here?"

"By then, two years had passed and Sunny was growing older." Violet trembled as she spoke. "It was then that I had to come to a conclusion that perhaps you did perish in that whirlpool. I mean, whoever heard of anyone surviving a whirlpool?"

"I did," Klaus whispered back. "I came back here to look for you."

"And I'm glad that you did." Violet cried. "But I had to take care of Sunny and we were missing Beatrice so I made a call. A call to stop looking for you and to remain at a place so that if by chance, you were alive, you might find me here."

"And you chose a hospital in the middle of nowhere?" Klaus cried. "Why not the city, 667 Dark Avenue, Uncle Monty's place or even Count Olaf's? Why here?!"

"Because I was convinced that you've died, Klaus!" Violet whispered loudly as she shut her eyes. "I was convinced that my brother was gone and I needed to move on. It was the hardest decision that I had to make but it was the right one, Klaus. Sunny needed to grow and go to school. Of course, getting our fortune would have been my first priority considering I'm well past eighteen but the charges made against us when we were younger would have gotten me arrested. So I did the best I could. I sent Sunny to school while working here where no one would know me and I could continue to help people. Believe me, Klaus, it was the hardest decision I had to make."

Klaus could feel his sister trembling beside him. Gently, Klaus placed a hand on his sister's face as he wiped away the tears that had been sliding down her cheeks.

"It's okay," Klaus whispered. "I'm here now and perhaps tomorrow, we can send a message to Sunny that I'm okay."

Violet's eyes opened wide as she stared at Klaus with unblinking eyes. "No," Violet said firmly. "We can't tell Sunny yet."

"Why not?" Klaus asked.

"Because…because… it would wreck her." Violet said as she pushed Klaus's hand away. "When you were gone, Sunny was the optimistic one. She was convinced that you were alive and no matter how much I tried to help her not to get her hopes up, Sunny refused to believe that you were dead."

"That's good, isn't it?" Klaus said as Violet shook her head.

"I had to convince her, Klaus that you were gone and we had to move on. So…" Violet sighed as she gave Klaus a look of shame. "I invented a lie to convince her that you were dead. Sunny grieved for you for weeks before I finally convinced her to move on."

"Violet! How could you?" Klaus gasped.

"It was the only way, Klaus." Violet insisted as she grabbed his hands. "Do you remember how Sunny was when our parents passed away? How sad she would be but still…still able to move on?"

"That's because she was a baby!" Klaus replied.

"Exactly!" Violet replied. "Think about what you mean to her, Klaus. Her childhood with Count Olaf constantly pursuing us and we having to avoid him at every turn. How you and I took care of her and raised both her and Beatrice on the island? We were her parents, not our parents! We were the ones she would look up to and always believed that we would take care of her together. At first, I was fine letting her believe you were alive but the longer, the longer that stayed, the more she changed for the worse. She would pester me to find you, not wanting to move on even the slightest. Sunny refused to bite stuff and on her bad days, she wouldn't even want to eat or sleep. So yes, I lied about your death, but I did it to help her which is what you would do in my shoes if you could see how much your disappearance affected her."

Klaus kept silent as he thought about his sister's words. For months, Klaus had thought a great deal about how horrible his life had been without Violet and now, having placed himself into Violet's shoes, the loneliness that he felt while being away from his family didn't seem so bad as compared to having to deal with his baby sister. Nodding his head, Klaus gave Violet a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, Violet," Klaus whispered as his sister gave him a sad smile.

"You don't have to apologise, Klaus," Violet said as she smiled at him. "Once Sunny's semester ends, you and I can go visit her and we will ease you back into her life. For now, I'm just eternally and inordinately grateful for you just being here with me. Klaus…I…I…"

"Yes?" Klaus whispered as he shifted closer to her before noticing a blush on her cheeks that was getting redder by the second.

Klaus noticed that his sister had moved closer towards him as well. He could feel her soft bangs brushing against his forehead as he stared into her eyes. The air between them had disappeared almost as if both of them were holding their breath. Klaus could feel her nose bump into his. Their room had grown silent save for the tune that was playing on the intercom, soft as it was. Yet Klaus's attention was only on his sister, his sister whom he had admired for the longest time, his sister whom he had been with on an island alone, having to raise a family together. His sister who supported him, cared for him, loved him…

Her lips were getting closer to his as Klaus felt the press of her bosom against his chest. In his head, Klaus could hear himself mentally screaming about how strange the situation seemed. How far from normal it was for a brother to be in the same bed as his sister and to be as close as they were now. But then again, Klaus thought as he saw his sister wrestling with same thoughts as his, he and Violet weren't like normal siblings. They were always unusually close, hardly ever getting into any fights with the other and often trading barbs and compliments that a normal pair of siblings would never do. He and Violet had changed much over the years and Violet now was no longer a child but a young woman who in Klaus's eyes, was the most beautiful woman he ever saw.

Klaus retreated back into his thoughts. _Could it be possible that I…_

CRACKLE!

The crackling of the intercom surprised both Klaus and Violet that they instantly shifted away from each other. For the first time since he stepped foot in Heimlich Hospital, Klaus could hear something else with the tune.

… _.I want you in my arms…_

"Violet, do you recognise this tune?" Klaus asked a flustered Violet who was busy straightening her hair. "It's like a song I've heard before but I can't remember."

"Well, if there are lyrics, maybe I can help," Violet said before getting off the bed.

"There was…a line…" Klaus said as his sister straightened out her pyjamas.

"This tune doesn't have lyrics," Violet replied before reaching for the bunk's ladder. "Anyways, I…I should probably get some sleep and so should you. Nights, Klaus."

"Nights, Violet," Klaus said although, with the tune and what he was about to do with Violet still fresh on his mind, Klaus knew that it was impossible for him to go to sleep anytime soon.

…

Over the course of several months, Klaus spent his days helping out at the hospital with Violet. Though Heimlich Hospital was under more effective management, they were still very much understaffed. Klaus took on the role of a medical orderly, learning new skills along the way although if one were, to be honest, Klaus pretty much knew how to run things. Each day, Klaus would check on Jane and Mark to see how they were doing. Mark would help out from time to time although most of it was spent in Jane's room.

As the days go by, Jane's condition wasn't getting any better. Despite Doctor Victor's advice and constant medical attention, Klaus could see no signs of Jane waking up soon. That had taken a toll on poor Mark whose emotions seemed to be getting the better of him. If Klaus was being honest, Mark was a wreck. He no longer cared about his appearance and on a few times, Klaus, Violet or Dr. Victor had to cajole him to eat.

"I don't know what to do with him anymore." Klaus sighed as he peered through the crack of the door. "I've tried to get him to get some fresh air but I don't think he's even been outside the hospital since we first came."

"It's not good for him." Victor sighed as he exchanged a look with Violet who shook her head furiously.

"What?" Klaus asked as he noticed the exchange. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Violet replied hastily as she glared at Victor who gave Violet a pleading look.

"Please…if you won't let me tell him, then you do it…"

"Tell me what?" Klaus asked as Violet glared at Victor.

"I told you that I would handle it!" Violet whispered harshly as Victor gave an apologetic look.

"Violet Baudelaire, what do you have to tell me?" Klaus asked as he folded his arms. Violet let out a groan before pulling Klaus to the side.

"Look, I want you to know that this isn't what we wanted but…Victor thinks that maybe it's time."

"Time? Time for what?" Klaus asked as his sister fidgeted uncomfortably in front of him.

"Well, as you already know we've linked the V.F.D to Jane's life support so essentially they're both one and the same. However, the problem is the machine has been working overtime. Which can only mean that…"

"That Jane's brain is failing. But why hasn't anyone told me or Mark?" Klaus cried hotly.

"Because Klaus," Victor said as he approached the pair. "Because look at what it's been doing to Mark. Every day, he asks me if Jane's getting better and whenever I give up the slightest bit of doubt, he goes off his rocker. I couldn't tell him or you. We've gotten Jane's brain to work but unfortunately, the wounds are just getting to be too much."

"So what are you suggesting we do, Doctor?" Klaus asked as Victor exchanged a look at Violet who nodded her head.

"That we show her mercy, Klaus," Victor spoke firmly as Klaus allowed his meaning to sink in.

"No…no… you're thinking about euthanasia, aren't you? But she's in a coma! You said so yourself that people can wake up from comas. Some even go under for years before coming out!" Klaus replied as Victor shook his head.

"Well, those are rare exceptions and even in those cases, they didn't have the knowledge of the human brain that we have, Klaus. Here, let me show you something." Victor said as he pulled out a small clipboard from his coat.

"These are the readings from my latest examination of Jane. As you can see, the percentage of her brain that is still active has been dropping not to mention the exertion on all of her brain components. With this much damage, it is increasingly unlikely that Jane will ever wake up. For all we know, our machine could be causing her damage, Klaus."

"How so?"

"Think about the way dreams work," Victor explained. "When you're in a dream, most of the time you won't realise it. Why would it? In a dream, especially a good one, you're blinded to how unusual things would be because all you want is for it to be real. It would seem normal in every sense of the word with the exception of a few details that your brain just fills in to keep up its appearance. But the thing about dreams is that sooner or later, you realise you're in one and before you know it, you wake up. But Jane's been dreaming for months, Klaus and you know how time slows down in the dream world. For all we know, Jane has realised that she's been dreaming for years inside and we are the ones trapping her there."

"But if Jane knows she's dreaming, that means she can manipulate it, right?" Klaus retorted.

"Yes, that is true. Jane can shape her dream." Victor replied.

"So why doesn't she just force herself to wake up? Maybe it's because she doesn't realise she's been dreaming." Klaus replied as Violet put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're just trying to convince yourself, Klaus," Violet replied with a sad expression on her face. "It's more than likely Jane can't wake herself up from her dream."

"So that's it? We just give up on her?!" Klaus snapped.

"We may not be able to save Jane but we can save Mark," Violet replied firmly as Klaus stared at her incredulously.

"You do realise that if Jane dies, Mark might just go down the same path," Klaus exclaimed.

"Or Mark would finally get the impetus to move on!" Violet replied.

"You mean like how Sunny did?" Klaus snapped. As soon as the words left his mouth, Klaus felt instant regret as he stared at Violet's face. Without saying a word, Violet turned and walked down the hall.

"Violet, wait." Klaus cried as he tried to run after her, only to be held back by a strong arm.

"Let her go, Klaus. She just needs time." Victor said gently as Klaus sighed before collapsing into a nearby chair. Victor sat next to him as the two men looked towards Jane's ward.

"I know this is hard for you to hear and trust me, I would give anything not to say it." Victor sighed as he glared at the ward. "But there is nothing more that we can do for Jane. Keeping her alive would be cruel, Klaus."

"Doctor, we're talking about killing a human being in there. A friend." Klaus whispered. "It's not up to us to play God by killing her."

"Nor is it up to us to play God by keeping her alive when she's clearly fading," Victor whispered back. "This is probably the hardest decision you're going to have to make."

"Why me?" Klaus asked bitterly. "Shouldn't it be up to Mark? Or why not you or Violet give it a go?"

"Because I can't operate or do anything without your permission, don't you remember?" Victor said. "You and Mark are the ones now responsible for Jane and well, I doubt Mark would be able to deal with this, let alone make the decision."

"So it comes down to me." Klaus sighed as Victor nodded. Klaus closed his eyes as he leaned his head back. This wasn't the first time he had to make a tough decision where doing something horrible seemed like the right thing to do. In fact, Klaus had undergone the exact same situation at the exact same place a few years ago when he and his sisters were perched on the unfinished part of Heimlich Hospital. He, Violet and Sunny had a quiet yet heated discussion as to whether or not they would break the trust of Hal, record keeper for Heimlich Hospital's library of records, by stealing his keys to look for information on their parents. As Klaus turned to the past to recall that exact memory, his concentration was broken, once again, by the familiar tune playing on the intercom.

 _Blasted song!_ Klaus roared in his head as he turned to Victor who was staring deeply at his clipboard while biting his nails.

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked.

"I mean…it's all speculation at this point…but it is possible that Jane might be having a nightmare. Or maybe she's just going through all her memories. I can't be sure, of course. I'm still very much learning oneirology. Oneirology is…"

"… the study of dreams, yes I know," Klaus replied. "But what makes you say all that?"

"Well, see her, this particular part of the brain," Victor replied as he pointed to the scan of Jane's brain. "Well, it's been working overtime. Of course, that could be down to the fact that it's an important access point to our V.F.D but then - "

"What does this part do?" Klaus interjected, cutting Victor off.

"Well, this part is where we store our emotional experiences, including our most frightening memories. Memories are the foundation of dreams, after all, as we use it as a blueprint for the creation of dreams. But if I were to hazard a guess, I say Jane's brain has been accessing all her most emotional experiences and using them to create a dream."

"Why would she do that?" Klaus asked as Victor turned to him with a blank look.

"Who knows? Maybe she just wants to relieve all her experiences before she…well…you know what they say about a person before they die…how their life flashes before their eyes…"

Klaus wanted to point out that Victor was merely speculating at this point but a look into the doctor's eyes confirmed Klaus's suspicions about what the doctor intended to do. _He just wants to make it easier for me_ Klaus thought as he stared at the latest scan of Jane's brain. Wanting nothing but a momentary distraction away from the situation, Klaus motioned towards the scan, hoping that the doctor's explanation of medical jargon and references could distract Klaus from the responsibility of killing someone.

"What's it called?" Klaus asked as he pointed to the part once more.

….

"The answer is A. Amygdala," Klaus replied firmly as Quentin stared doubtfully at him.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," Klaus replied. "The answer is A."

"Are you sure?" Quentin asked again. "It's just that you haven't spent this long looking at a question as you did with the previous questions. You do have a lifeline remember…"

"I don't need a lifeline!" Klaus snapped to the surprise of Quentin who looked taken aback.

"I'm sorry," Klaus said as he caught the look of Quentin's face. "I'm sorry. It's just that this question brought back some hard memories."

"It's perfectly alright," Quentin replied with a smile. "This is the ninth question and you must certainly be feeling the pressure. I just wanted you to be sure. I mean…" Quentin gave a light chuckle as he looked around the glass structure. "This question certainly isn't life or death but twenty-five thousand dollars is hardly a small sum, am I right?"

Quentin's question was met with light laughter as Klaus tried his best to put a smile on his face. Quentin turned his attention back to Klaus.

"So, Klaus, for the ninth question which asks you for which part of the brain stores our emotional and frightening experiences, you've chosen to answer A. Before I lock it in, I would need you to confirm it with me. Is that your final answer?"

Quentin stared at Klaus who looked to be elsewhere as a pained expression came over his face. Quentin repeated the question once more.

"I need an answer from you, Klaus. Is A your final answer?"

Klaus said nothing as he continued to stare into the distance.

"Klaus? Are you there?"

…

"Are you there?" Klaus said as he knocked on the door of his sleeping quarters with Violet. Pushing the door open, Klaus could see Violet seated behind her desk, writing something furiously on a piece of paper.

"Violet?" Klaus said as he moved towards Violet to see what she was writing, only for her to snatch it out of his view as she made her way to the bed. Klaus could see her extract an envelope from under her mattress as she stuffed the piece of paper inside.

"Violet?" Klaus said as Violet handed him the envelope.

"Here," Violet said as she glared at him. "Inside is a letter to our sister's school. You might want to read it. I've told her about how you're alive and will be going to visit her. Pack your bags. You're leaving tomorrow."

"Violet, please," Klaus said as he handed her the envelope without looking inside.

"What?" Violet snapped as she turned away from him. "What else do you want me to say? Go on, go to our baby sister and tell her about how you're alive and how I lied to her. Go on, Klaus! I can take it if she hates me and never wants to speak to me again."

"Violet, you know that's not true. Sunny would…"

"Sunny would be furious and you know it," Violet spoke, cutting him off.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said. I was just taken aback about having to switch off Jane's life support system." Klaus replied hastily as Violet heaved a sigh before giving him a smile.

"Honestly, Klaus, I don't mind. Of course, you would want to tell Sunny you're alive and if I were in your shoes, I would do the same. But as I told you once before, I don't regret doing what I had to do to get Sunny to move on. And Mark is an awful lot like Sunny was."

"But I came back," Klaus said as Violet threw her arms around him.

"That you did," Violet said as she gave him a bittersweet smile. "But Jane isn't missing like you were. She's dying right in front of our eyes."

"So then, just let the machine work until it's her time." Klaus sighed. "Why do we have to do anything?"

"Because…sometimes we have to choose to do what's right over what's easy," Violet replied. "Something the choices that seemed bad are the ones that are necessary. The longer we put it off, the longer Jane becomes trapped there and the worse Mark will get. I can't say for sure Mark will be okay but we have to do what's right."

"And what's right is killing someone?" Klaus asked. "I don't feel good about this."

"I never wanted to put this on you." Violet sighed as she pulled herself away from his embrace. Moving towards her table, Violet pulled out what appeared to be a small cake.

"It's your birthday today, remember?" Violet said as Klaus gave her a puzzled look.

"My birthday?" Klaus spoke as he gaped at the cake. He had forgotten all about his seventeenth birthday. It dawned on him that his situation was a form of cruel irony, having to decide to kill someone on the day you were born.

"I never wanted you to know about Jane's situation but Victor kept convincing me to tell you." Violet sighed before placing the cake on the table. "All I wanted to do was to celebrate your birthday and then, in about a week, I would switch off the machine myself. Yes, I know, it's against hospital protocol but honestly, I don't give a damn. You're my brother, Klaus, and I love you. And I would do anything to protect you. But now, now it's no longer up to me."

"You weren't going to tell me?" Klaus said as Violet shook her head.

"What for? You would just think that it's a natural death and so too would Mark. No one would have to know but Victor was against it. Said it was unethical what I was going to do."

"It is!" Klaus replied. "I get the whole euthanasia thing, as odd as that sounds, but you should tell me before doing something like that. It's me, Violet. You and I always discuss things like this."

"And burdened you with the thought of killing someone? Burdened Mark with it?" Violet countered.

"Mark deserves to know." Klaus insisted.

"It would push him over the edge," Violet replied. "At least if he thought she died a natural death, Mark might be able to move on but not if we tell him about what we did. Not in his condition."

"Fine! But you should tell me, Violet, me! I'm your brother!" Klaus said as Violet grabbed his hands.

"Look at what's it doing to you now, Klaus, how can I put that on you?" Violet sighed. "Let me handle it," Violet whispered.

Klaus stared at his sister before pulling his hands away and leaning against the wall. Never before in his life, Klaus had to make a decision as devastating and difficult as the one before him. He understood what Violet and Dr. Victor were saying and one only had to look at Mark to see how badly the boy had deteriorated. Though in his mind, Klaus wanted nothing more than to be as far away from Jane's ward as he possibly could be, he couldn't deny it any longer. The facts were there, the logic was sound and Klaus Baudelaire couldn't afford to surrender to his emotions anymore. There was only one final thing to do.

The right thing.

….

"Hey, Mark," Klaus said as he entered Jane's ward to see the boy staring at her from his seat. He could see Mark's sunken pale face as the boy turned to him while dropping his blanket on the floor. Mark's body was now almost skin and bones as Klaus caught sight of a few strands of Mark's dishevelled and long blonde hair on the floor of the ward.

 _How could I have let it get this far?_ Klaus cursed himself internally as he walked towards Mark.

"Hey, Klaus," Mark whispered as he stared back at Jane. "She looks a bit better today, don't you think?"

"Kind of like Sleeping Beauty," Klaus whispered as Mark gave a chuckle.

"That was one of her favourite fairy tales," Mark said as he reached out for Jane's hand. "If only a kiss from her true love could wake her up."

"If it were that easy, you would have kissed her a long time ago, Mark," Klaus said as Mark gave Klaus a light smile. "It should have dawned on me back in the village. You're in love with her, aren't you?"

"Hey, when you spend close to ten months to a beautiful girl, then you can judge me, okay?" Mark laughed as he gave Klaus a pat on his back. "Hey, I got to take a leak and the stupid nurse won't let me use the bedpan anymore."

Klaus watched as Mark struggled to get up to his feet before heading towards the door. Turning around for just a bit, Mark stared at Jane lying in the bed, her blond hair tucked neatly behind her ear.

"She really does look like Sleeping Beauty," Mark said as he stared longingly at her.

"Yeah." Klaus sighed. "Time to wake up."

"Indeed it is," Mark replied before disappearing out of the room.

Klaus turned his attention to Jane. Though he had visited the room on multiple occasions, this was the first time he was getting a good look at her. He could hear the beeping and whirring sounds of the V.F.D as Jane laid on her back with tubes attached to her. Klaus folded her arms as he stared at the young blonde girl who appeared to the world as if she was sleeping.

Inside, Klaus could feel his stomach churning as sharp pangs of pain shot throughout his body. Although he had only known her for a short time, Klaus couldn't help but feel nauseous at the thought of what he was going to do. The closest Klaus ever came to killing someone was Dewey Denouement back at the hotel and even then, it was Olaf who pointed the gun and the release of the harpoon had been but an accident. Even Count Olaf, who no longer plagued Klaus's memories as much as it did in the past, had been a person Klaus greatly wished the worst of suffering upon with the exception of death. But Jane wasn't some cruel monster out to get their fortune, nor was she an adult victim of circumstances. Jane was but a young girl whose parents had perished in a fire.

Klaus thought back to his parents and wondered what they would say to him at this moment. He eyed the door thinking about how easy it would be for him to walk away and just leave it to Violet and yet, the thought of Violet having to bear a burden that was supposed to be his was just too much. Klaus inched forward towards the switch of the V.F.D where it all it took to end a life was just a simple click of a button.

He could feel the tears streaking down his face as Klaus reached for the button. He could feel his heart weighing heavily on his chest as his ears picked up the same old tune that was playing on the intercom.

"I'm sorry," Klaus said before placing his finger on the button.

…

"Klaus?" Quentin asked as Klaus placed his finger on the screen. As Klaus raised his head to face his, Quentin was surprised to see tears streaking down his face.

"Klaus, are you…"

"Final answer."

"Excuse me?" Quentin spoke as Klaus wiped away his tears before staring back at Quentin with a stoic look on his face.

"Final answer," Klaus said firmly as somewhere in the arena, Klaus could hear music starting to play.

…..

The moment he switched off the button, Klaus could hear a crackling sound over the intercom as the tune played out once more. Only this time, Klaus could hear singing.

 _Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream_

 _Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream  
_

 _When I want you in my arms  
When I want you and all your charms  
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is  
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream_

"All I have to do is dream." a voice spoke as Klaus jumped with a start before turning around to see Violet staring sadly back at him. "Written by Boudleaux Bryant in 1958 and made famous by the Everly Brothers."

"Violet?" Klaus said as Violet motioned towards the bed as Klaus turned. To his complete surprise, the bed was empty with no Jane in sight. Without warning, the room started to darken as the lights began to flicker and dim.

"Violet, what's going on?" Klaus asked. Without answering, Violet walked over towards and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm so sorry for having to do this, Klaus," Violet whispered as Klaus caught her voice trembling with fear. "There really was no other way."

"Violet, what are you talking about?" Klaus asked as he pulled away to give her a look of concern.

Violet heaved a large sigh before staring back sadly at Klaus.

"I'm not Violet. I'm Jane."

…..

 _When I feel blue in the night  
And I need you to hold me tight  
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is  
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam_

"Wait, what?" Klaus said as Violet walked over to the V.F.D. "What do you mean you're Jane? I just saw her! And where did she disappeared to? What's going on, Violet?"

"Do you know what the V.F.D can do?" Violet asked, ignoring Klaus's questions.

"Yes. It gets you to dream." Klaus replied as Violet gave him a smile before shaking her head.

"No, that's not its only purpose. You see, Klaus, when Victor invented the V.F.D, he didn't just want the patients to dream. Victor wanted to find a way to get the patients to realise that they were dreaming, that they were in a coma in the hopes that they would fight harder to wake up. It is indeed a revolutionary device and one when used properly, can help save many lives. But I hate it, Klaus. This device…" Violet said as she glared at it. "This device is why I can't move on."

"I don't get it," Klaus said as Violet turned to him.

"Yes, you do. You just don't want to admit it. Have you noticed anything strange since you've been here? Like how you can't feel pain as much you're supposed to? Any other abnormalities? How about the fact that you can't recall other memories or how coincidental it would be that Violet would be at the hospital around the time you came here?"

"But..but…" Klaus said as he spied his sister's ribbon in her hair. "Oh my god, Violet would never have worn a pink ribbon."

"Really?" Violet replied as she touched her ribbon in her hair. "That wasn't intentional on my part but hey, glad it helps. So Klaus, have you figured out yet? What's happening to you?"

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Klaus said as Violet nodded her head.

"You're in my dream."

….

"What's going on?" Klaus said as he sat down on the bed.

"When Victor placed me under the V.F.D out there in the real world, you and Mark took turns to come and see me. You both wanted me to wake up but try as I might, I couldn't break out from the dream." Violet sighed. "So as time passed by, and trust me it moves much slower here then you can imagine, I got tired of dreaming. All I wanted was to die, for you to switch off the machine. But when I told Mark, he flat-out refused. He believed that I could wake up and in the meantime, he and I could spend time here together."

Violet gave a light laugh as she waved her hand. To Klaus's astonishment, the room started to spin before disappearing into the darkness that surrounded them save for the bed in which he and Violet sat. In front of them, a floor appeared out of thin air and Klaus could see Jane and Mark slow dancing to a song as a small cottage materialised behind them. Somewhere in the darkness, Klaus could hear the song playing.

 _I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine  
Anytime night or day  
Only trouble is, gee whiz  
I'm dreamin' my life away_

"At first, I was all for it." Violet sighed as she smiled at the dancing pair before frowning back at Klaus. "But it was all an illusion. Just a dream. I tried to convince Mark to let me go but he wouldn't. He said that it was something he could never do. Just move on."

"I'm sorry," Klaus whispered as he patted her hand. Violet gave him a smile.

"So then, I turned to you. But just like Mark, you refused. You were both so insistent that I could wake up and so I resorted to other tactics. Like not telling you about where I had seen your sisters just so you would come to see me each time and I would get another opportunity to convince you."

"But…I would have remembered…" Klaus stammered as Violet shook her head.

"Remember what Victor said? About how a dreamer doesn't know that he's dreaming and is blinded to everything that shows it's a dream. You see, Klaus, I knew that no matter what I would say, you wouldn't listen. So I had no choice but to manipulate this dream and in doing so, manipulate you as well. I needed someone that you would be completely blinded with to listen to what she had to say."

"Violet…" Klaus whispered as Violet suddenly burst into tears.

"I recalled what your sister looked like the last time I saw her. From the information about the V.F.D and the information that you as well as your sister shared with me the last time I saw her, I created this scenario and this world in the hopes of convincing you to do the right thing. To set me free. You have no idea what's it like being here, Klaus. No idea! " Violet wept as Klaus stared back blankly at her, trying to absorb the meaning of her words.

 _I need you so that I could die  
I love you so and that is why  
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is  
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream_

"Wait, so you're telling me that right now, I've been dreaming and that my sisters are still missing?" Klaus spoke in a trembling voice. Klaus couldn't believe his ears. All this time, he had been overjoyed to find his sisters only to realise that he never did, that they were still missing and that he had been dreaming the whole thing up for…

"I've been dreaming about finding my sisters for several months?!" Klaus roared as he glared back at Violet.

"Not several months! You've been asleep for just several hours." Violet replied as she cringed under his loud tone. "Although how long you've been at the Hospital in the real world, I have no idea."

"Bullshit!"

"Think about it, Klaus!" Violet begged as she grabbed his hands. "Think back to all those months you spent at the hospital! What did you do? What meals did you eat each day? What experiences did you went through while you spend time here other than the ones I wanted you to experience?!"

"But…but…" Klaus stammered as he forced his brain to work. Jane was right. Try as he might, Klaus couldn't remember a single thing in the months between finding Violet and the day he switched off the machine. Everything seemed like it was a blur almost as if it were a… _  
_

"Dream," Klaus exclaimed as his eyes widened with realisation.

…

"So what now?" Klaus said as he stared back at the fake Violet who had stopped crying.

"I don't know," Violet whispered as she stared back at him. Even though it was an illusion, Klaus couldn't help but wish it was truly Violet in front of him. That he truly did find her at the hospital. That Sunny was at some school somewhere, living a good life while he waited for the right time to visit her. That he and his sister had reconciled about that horrible day at sea. That they could finally, after years, be a family once more.

But it wasn't to be. And Klaus had waited long enough.

"I'll do it. I promise." Klaus said as Violet gave him a look of uncertainty. "Just as long as you tell me where you last saw her and what happened to her." Violet stared back at Klaus for the longest time as Klaus could see her eyes wrestling between hope and caution.

"Okay," Violet said as she leaned in to whisper into Klaus's ear. As Klaus's eyes widened upon hearing where his sisters might be, he couldn't help but sneak a glance back at the image of Violet before him.

 _I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine  
Anytime night or day  
Only trouble is, gee whiz  
I'm dreamin' my life away_

…..

"So I guess this is it, huh?" Klaus said as Violet nodded at him. Before she could say anything, Klaus pulled her into a long hug.

"I wish things would be better for you," Klaus whispered into her ear as he felt a strong pair of arms hugging him tightly. As Klaus pulled away, he could see Jane, in her long blond ponytail staring back at him instead.

"Thank you, Klaus. Thank you so much." Jane whispered as Klaus gave her a smile before pressing his lips onto her forehead.

"Thank you for telling me where my sisters are," Klaus said as Jane nodded before grabbing Klaus's hands.

"I pray that you'll find them soon." Jane said as she smiled at him. "All you have to do now is just close your eyes and listen to the song. You'll wake up soon."

"Are you sure?" Klaus said as Jane nodded. Before Klaus could close his eyes, however, Jane cleared her throat.

"Promise me one thing," Jane said as Klaus glanced back at her.

"Anything."

"Don't tell Mark," Jane said as she stared firmly into his eyes. " I want him to move on from me. He doesn't have to know what you're doing for me."

Klaus stared sadly back at Jane. "Are you sure?"

Jane smiled at Klaus before nodding. "Goodbye Klaus Baudelaire."

"Goodbye, Jane," Klaus said as he took one final look at the blonde-haired girl before closing his eyes shut.

 _I need you so that I could die  
I love you so and that is why  
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is  
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream_

….

"That's the right answer! Congratulations, Klaus Baudelaire!" Quentin spoke as Dr Victor smiled at the image of Klaus Baudelaire on the television screen.

"He got it right?"

Victor turned to see Nurse May standing next to him with her eyes shut and fingers in her ears. Chuckling, Victor moved her hands away as May opened her eyes.

"Oh my god, yes! He got it right!" May exclaimed excitedly as Victor laughed at his young nurse.

"I see you're pretty invested in this game show," Victor said as May's cheeks began to blush.

"Well, Victory has always been my favourite game show!" May replied. "What about you, Doctor?"

"I'm just watching it for him," Victor said as he pointed towards Klaus on the screen. "I just hope he can find his sisters. He's been looking for them for quite some time now."

"You said the patient knew him as well?" May said as she motioned to the patient lying in the bed. Victor nodded his head as he stared at the comatose patient in the bed before checking on the V.F.D machine that the patient had been attached to. Everything seemed to be going smoothly as it did three years ago.

"Klaus spent several months here before leaving one day after receiving some news about his sister's whereabouts," Victor spoke. "The patient and Klaus were friends even though their relationship was only for a short time. The patient was admitted because of a gunshot that hit the side of the head." Victor sighed as May motioned towards the machine.

"So why put the machine on if no one's going to go inside? I mean it's been three years…shouldn't we at least…call it a day?" May asked as Victor shook his head.

"Hospital policy remember? We can't operate without permission and since the subject is an orphan, we can't do anything unless we have the family's permission. So unless our search to find a missing or distant relative is successful, we can't do anything." Victor replied as he gave a sympathetic look to the patient.

"To be in a coma for three years…" May whispered as she shook her head. "What about Klaus? Can't he do something?"

"Not for the patient, no." Victor sighed as he handed the clipboard of the patient's details to May who gasped as soon as she read it.

"The wound was self-inflicted? He tried to kill himself?"

"Yes," Victor replied. "Mark's girlfriend had been in a similar coma when she first came here. When she died, we all hope for Mark to recover. But he never could. He had used the machine far too much, you see, and reality wasn't good enough for him anymore. So he sought an excuse to be with her again."

"But shooting himself in the head." May shuddered as she spoke. "Does Klaus know?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Victor sighed. "Klaus left as soon as Jane had passed away. Guess there wasn't really much left to stay for. As for Mark…"

Victor reached for the radio next to Mark's bed and switched it on. A crackling sound came on the radio.

"He's happy wherever he is." Victor whispered as a familiar song started to play.

.

.

.

 _Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream_

 _Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream_


End file.
